Ohtani Ready to Debut on the Mound with the Dodgers
Glendale, Arizona – Shohei Ohtani is scheduled for his first appearance as a pitcher in the preseason on Wednesday, representing the Los Angeles Dodgers against the San Francisco Giants. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts also announced that Ohtani will act as designated hitter in Friday’s game against the San Diego Padres. This strategy is part of the Japanese star player’s preparation for opening day, scheduled for March 26. Ohtani recently rejoined the Dodgers’ camp at Camelback Ranch, following Japan’s elimination in the quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic.Roberts also commented that the plan includes Ohtani pitching in an additional exhibition game against the Los Angeles Angels, either on March 23 or 24. This suggests that the right-hander will likely not make his first regular season opening until the team’s second series against the Cleveland Guardians. Last season, Ohtani recorded an ERA of 2.87 in 14 regular season starts, after recovering from an elbow injury. In addition, he had a 2-1 record with an ERA of 4.43 in the postseason, contributing to the Dodgers’ second consecutive World Series title.I think three to four at-bats is reasonable for tomorrow. It’s more about doing what we can with what we have left to get him ready for the season. He did his part when he was with the Japan team and now you’re putting him against real competition, you build him up there and try to get as much accumulation as possible before the season starts.
Dave Roberts, Dodgers manager
