Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani took on-field batting practice for the first time with his new team on Feb. 12, at Glendale, Ariz., and put on another of his patented shows.
According to reports, Ohtani took swings at 21 pitches and hit 10 of those pitches over the fence in his first outside hitting work of spring training.
The batting-practice session was the 29-year-old Ohtani’s first on a field since he underwent elbow surgery on Sept. 19 to repair a UCL tear in his right elbow.
The two-time MVP is operating within a tight recovery window to be able to play in the Dodgers’ season-opener at South Korea on March 20 against the San Diego Padres.
The Dodgers and Padres play two games in South Korea then return to resume their regular-season schedules in the United States on March 28.
The BP results have Ohtani optimistic that he will be able to play on March 20.
“I was planning ... to swing on the lighter side,” Ohtani told reporters Monday through an interpreter. “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.”
Despite not being able to pitch this season, the Dodgers still signed Ohtani to a 10-year free-agent contract for a record $700 million contract, with $680 million of that deferred and paid out in installments from 2034–43.
The last time Ohtani took batting practice on the field was in September with the Los Angeles Angels. Reduced to only being a hitter at that point, Ohtani eventually cut short his season a month early to undergo surgery.
In six seasons with the Angels, Ohtani won the American League Rookie of the Year in 2018 and earned AL MVP honors in 2021 and 2023. Those awards came amid two elbow injuries that required surgery.
A career .274 hitter with the Angels, Ohtahi also had a .922 OPS, including a baseball-best 1.066 OPS last season. He has 171 home runs with 437 RBIs in his MLB career, including 44 home runs and 95 RBIs in 2023.
As a pitcher, Ohtani is 38–19 in 86 career starts for the Angels with a 3.01 ERA. He went 15–9 with a 2.33 ERA in 28 starts in 2022 and followed that last season by going 10–5 with a 3.14 ERA in 23 starts.
Ohtani is expected to return to being a two-way player for the Dodgers in 2025.
Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw is targeting a post-All-Star-break return from shoulder surgery as he embarks on the 17th season with the only organization he has known.
After contemplating retirement, Kershaw instead agreed to a reported one-year deal with the Dodgers earlier this week and is at the team’s spring training complex at Glendale, Ariz.
“Honestly I think summer is about as good as I can do,” Kershaw said Thursday of his return to game action. “It’s probably not early summer. ... I hate saying a timetable because if I go below it or beyond it, it’s not good. But I would say July-ish, August-ish. Somewhere in there. I don’t know.”
Kershaw, who turns 36 next month, underwent surgery Nov. 3 on his throwing shoulder. Upon his return to the mound, he will be part of a drastically different pitching staff.
Los Angeles signed right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, a star in Japan, to a 12-year contract; traded for Tampa Bay Rays ace Tyler Glasnow; and signed veteran left-hander James Paxton to a one-year deal.
Prized two-way signee Shohei Ohtani will not pitch in 2024 following elbow surgery but will contribute on offense.
“This offseason has been pretty amazing to watch, honestly,” Kershaw said. “There’s definitely a part of me that wanted to be a part of that, part of this team.
“Winning an offseason doesn’t mean anything, but it’s a pretty good clubhouse of guys. The talent is probably the best I’ve ever been a part of. I’m hopeful that I can be a part of it, too.”
Youngsters Bobby Miller and Emmet Sheehan are expected to start the season in the rotation. Walker Buehler, who underwent a second Tommy John surgery in August 2022 and missed all of 2023, will not be ready to start the season with the team but is not expected to be out long. Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May are also recovering from elbow procedures.
Kershaw posted a 13–5 record with a 2.46 ERA in 24 starts in 2023, but he dealt with diminished velocity after returning from midseason shoulder discomfort.
He started in Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks but gave up six runs while recording one out. The Dodgers were swept in the series.
“I’ve said it before, I don’t want to be average,” Kershaw said about his expectations for 2024. “I don’t want to just pitch to pitch. I want to be good. I want to contribute and be part of this. So yeah, my expectations are no concessions. Just be good.”
Kershaw owns a 210–92 record with a 2.48 ERA in 425 career appearances (422 starts) with the Dodgers. He is a 10-time All-Star and a three-time National League Cy Young Award winner, including in 2014, when he was named the league’s MVP.
