Last week, Shohei Ohtani said he was “very confident” that he will be ready to go when the Los Angeles Dodgers open their season against their rival and ‘Little Brother’ San Diego Padres in Seoul, South Korea on March 20.
On Monday, the newest Dodgers superstar took a giant leap in the right direction towards being able to accomplish that goal. For the first time since undergoing a second major right elbow surgery, which contributed to his 2023 season being abruptly cut short, Ohtani participated in batting practice on the field at Camelback Ranch.
“I felt really good overall,” Ohtani said through interpreter Ippei Mizuhara. “Every swing got really strong with some good results.”
Ohtani, who has earned the confidence of his teammates and executives alike, about how meticulous he is with every swing, took pitches from J.T. Watkins as they simulated real at-bats. In the first round, Ohtani effortlessly cleared the right-field fence on just his second swing of the session. Overall, the two-time American League MVP went through two rounds of batting practice. He took 21 swings overall, 10 of them leaving the park.
“I was planning on, like I said earlier, to swing on the lighter side,” Ohtani said. “But I felt like the swings were feeling really good, which is a really good sign. I think it’s trending towards me being ready for Opening Day.”
Embed from Getty ImagesIn addition to the elbow ailment, Ohtani also sustained a left oblique injury that shut him down for the last month of the season. Hitting on the field on Monday signaled to Ohtani that the specific injury is on the back burner, which is another ray of hope in his progression.
“I was being a little careful,” Ohtani said. “But overall I felt really good. All the swings I took inside the cage felt really strong. I think we’re past the oblique injury.”
The next phase of Ohtani’s rehab remains up in the air but he has said several times that he remains right on schedule for Opening Day. The Dodgers will be going through live batting practice starting on Tuesday, but it is unlikely Ohtani participates in the next couple of days.
“It’s not going to be every day, but it’ll be more often than during the season,” Ohtani said, when asked if he will hit on the field every day. “I’ll be mostly doing my hitting work in the cage. When there are things I need to check on, that’s when I’ll hit outside.”
Ohtani’s first batting practice session outside was as impressive as it sounds. Most players do not hit a ton of home runs during those sessions, particularly this early in the spring. One of the most impressive swings came as he launched a homer over the wall in right-center field.
After the ball landed in the bushes, Dodgers hitting coach Robert Van Scoyoc asked Ohtani if he had gotten jammed on the pitch. Ohtani turned back with a smile and quickly responded, “A little bit.”
“On the field, he looks great. He looks awesome,” Van Scoyoc said. “He’s moving good. He’s moving fast. The ball is really coming off. He’s explosive. So from everything I’ve seen, he looks outstanding.”
