GLENDALE, Arizona. Japanese star Shohei Ohtani once again demonstrated his worth in the baseball world, shining in his first Spring Training start with the Los Angeles Dodgers. In the desert landscape of Arizona, Ohtani pitched 4.1 scoreless innings, striking out four batters and reaching a maximum speed of 99.9 miles per hour. This performance thrilled the fans present at Camelback Ranch. The pitcher threw 61 pitches, of which 34 were strikes. Despite some moments of imprecision, with two walks and a hit batsman, his overall command indicated that he is regaining his rhythm as a pitcher, after a time focused primarily on batting.
In the recent 2026 World Baseball Classic, Ohtani participated only as a batter with Japan, where he batted .462 with three home runs and seven RBIs, before his team was eliminated in the quarterfinals. His absence as a pitcher in that tournament generated doubts about his preparation, but his outstanding performance in the Cactus League dispels many of those questions. Initially, the Dodgers planned for Ohtani to work between two and three innings at the start of the regular season. However, after this performance and his physical progress, the outlook has changed.He wants to readjust to pitching, focus on throwing. He’s had enough at-bats.
Dave Roberts, Dodgers manager
This advance also affects the strategy of the Los Angeles team, which could now start the season with a more solid rotation, without relying so much on long relievers. With this performance, Ohtani not only reaffirms his quality as a pitcher, but also indicates that he is ready to resume his dual role and once again be one of the key figures in Major League Baseball.Five innings is reasonable for his first outing.
Dave Roberts, Dodgers manager
