Shohei Ohtani has proven time and again to have an ability to seize the moment, and that occurred again Friday night with a home run in his first Cactus League at-bat of the year.
After spending the first couple weeks of Los Angeles Dodgers Spring Training workouts focused on throwing bullpen sessions and building up to facing pitchers in live batting practice, Ohtani was in the lineup for the team’s first night game of the year.
Any concerns about having surgery on his left shoulder were quickly put to bed as he went to the opposite field for a solo homer off fellow Japanese native Yusei Kikuchi. That wound up being Ohtani’s only hit in three at-bats, but his health is most paramount.
“Regardless of the results, I think the biggest takeaway was being able to go through my three at-bats without any issues. Physically, I felt really good,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton.
There was one instance where Ohtani shook his left shoulder after his final swing of the night, but that was not due to any issue.
“No discomfort,” Ohtani clarified. “It’s more of checking to make sure it’s OK. My last at-bat, the last swing, I was pretty late. But my shoulder felt great, so that was a good test.”
Ohtani previously revealed he was still dealing with lingering tightness in the surgically-repaired shoulder and anticipated needing to continue working through that in the weeks leading up to Opening Day.
Ohtani isn’t expected to resume pitching until some point in May or shortly before then, but he remains on track to be the Dodgers’ designated hitter for the Tokyo Series.
Shohei Ohtani pitching with windup
Ohtani’s bullpen sessions this spring have included a new wrinkle as he’s taken to pitching out of the windup. Thus far in his Major League career he has only pitched from the stretch.
“As part of being a baseball player, I want to explore different options, different avenues, to see if I can grow as a player. I do that on the pitching side as well as a hitter,” Ohtani explained of the change.
He plans to incorporate the windup once he begins pitching for the Dodgers this season.
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