GLENDALE, Ariz. — It was far from a sellout crowd, but those who attended Shohei Ohtani's spring debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday were rewarded in his final at-bat when Ohtani launched a two-run home run to the left. stands of the field, earning the loudest applause of the day.
Ohtani's explosion came in the bottom of the fifth on a 3-2 pitch by Chicago White Sox right-hander Dominic Leone. He went 1 for 3, striking out and grounding into a double play in his other two at-bats.
“At first I thought I went too high, but the Arizona weather played a bit of a role,” Ohtani said later through his interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara. “I felt better every time I went up. The trend is going in the right direction.”
Batting second in the Dodgers' order behind Mookie Betts and ahead of Freddie Freeman, Ohtani struck out facing left-hander Garrett Crochet in his first at-bat, then hit a hard double-play ball to second base in the third inning before to go deeper. the fifth.
“With Shohei, I'm starting to learn very quickly, he has a different build,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “He made some really good swings.”
Ohtani, the reigning American League MVP, was playing in his first game since undergoing right elbow surgery last September and his first since signing a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers in December.
Fans lined the third base line as he walked onto the field beforehand, then took photos as he walked out onto the deck. His home run brought the 6,678 in attendance to their feet.
“I definitely felt the energy from the crowd and the fans,” he said. “I really appreciate it. I'm really happy I was able to come back on time and play in front of the fans.”
Ohtani won't be pitching this season, but home runs like the one he hit Tuesday will certainly be enough entertainment for the Dodgers faithful.
He was asked if he thinks he'll see more pitches in the strike zone against Freeman.
“I definitely think it's going to help,” Ohtani said. “It's not just Freddie, it's Mookie and a bunch of good hitters behind Freddie.”
Ohtani said he had no nerves in his first game since surgery or with his new team. He said he's simply focused on preparing for the season as the Dodgers' designated hitter.
“It's definitely a great first step,” he said.
