Shohei Ohtani to bat 3rd, says he’ll be ready for Dodgers’ opener،
LOS ANGELES – Shohei Ohtani, recovering from elbow surgery as a pitcher while also preparing as a hitter, said he is “very confident” that he will be ready to become the Dodgers' designated hitter from Los Angeles when they open their season in the South. Korea on March 20.
His manager, Dave Roberts, also knows where he's going to hit.
Roberts sat on a makeshift stage atop the center field grass at Dodger Stadium on Saturday and revealed the top three spots in his all-star lineup to those who attended the team's Fan Fest event , announcing that Mookie Betts would lead, Freddie Freeman would. bats second and Ohtani would bat third. That sparked a loud roar from a crowd of about 35,000, many of whom wore new Ohtani jerseys and T-shirts to commemorate the Dodgers' $700 million acquisition.
“The Dodgers, in Los Angeles, are going to be the epicenter of sports and baseball,” Roberts said, referring to an offseason in which his team allocated about $1.2 billion to Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Teoscar Hernandez and James Paxton. heels of a 100-win season.
“It’s great for our game, it’s great for the city and it raises the bar for all of us.”
Ohtani, who underwent something very similar to his second Tommy John surgery on September 19, did flips – hitting baseballs after someone threw them underhand from a close distance – and hitting a tee and will start hitting speed shortly after reporting. at the team's spring training complex in Glendale, Ariz., next week.
His pitching schedule is still largely undetermined, but he said he is “on schedule” with his hitting progression and seems confident he will play in a highly anticipated two-game series against division rivals the South Korea's San Diego Padres are already calling for a closer look at Ohtani.
“The rehabilitation is going very well,” Ohtani said through interpreter Ippei Mizuhara. “As planned so far. As long as I'm ready by March 20, I think I'll play the whole year.”
Dodgers shortstop Gavin Lux, who missed the entire 2023 season after tearing an ACL in spring training, also expects to be ready by the start of the season. The same goes for high-leverage reliever Blake Treinen, who has been limited to five appearances over the past two years due to shoulder issues; he expects to have a “normal” spring training.
Walker Buehler, who is coming off his second Tommy John surgery, will navigate the 2024 season with a sleeve limit and starting a bit late in order to stay within that mark without having to be shut down mid-season.
The Dodgers' rotation was completely remade this offseason, although Ohtani won't pitch until 2025. Yamamoto, Glasnow and Paxton joined starters Buehler and Bobby Miller, with Emmet Sheehan, Gavin Stone and Michael Grove ready to step in. Dustin May, who is recovering from flexor tendon surgery, may also be an option at some point this season.
But the Dodgers are still hoping to bring back Clayton Kershaw, who had shoulder surgery in early November and isn't expected to return until midseason at the earliest. Kershaw is widely expected to sign a two-year deal with his hometown Dodgers or Texas Rangers.
“We continue to stay in contact with Clayton,” Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said, “and we will move forward.”
