GLENDALE, Ariz. — About quarter-hour earlier than first pitch, Shohei Ohtani ran to the opposite aspect of the sphere. As he stopped his full dash, Ohtani shared a fast hug with Angels outfielder Mike Trout and chatted with the three-time American League Most Precious Participant for a couple of minutes.
After sharing some moments and taking just a few photos along with his former teammates, Ohtani, for the primary time in his profession, ran again in the wrong way to get able to play in opposition to the Angels, the group that gave him the primary likelihood within the Majors six years in the past.
“Quite a lot of the boys had been right here as we speak,” Ohtani mentioned by interpreter Ippei Mizuhara. “So I received to meet up with most of them.”
Ohtani mentioned his former coaches and teammates didn’t give him a tough time for sporting blue and never crimson at this stage of his profession. The 2-time unanimous AL MVP additionally admitted that the Angels weighed closely on his thoughts whereas he made his free-agent determination over the winter. However as soon as he signed the papers with the Dodgers, he was prepared for this new chapter of his profession.
“It didn’t actually really feel too bizarre or uncomfortable as a result of it type of is what it’s,” Ohtani mentioned. “If I used to be enjoying on the Angels’ dwelling, it may need been a bit totally different story.”
Mentioned Trout: “I simply congratulated him on all the pieces and all of the stuff that occurred over the winter — the wedding, the contract, simply all of the issues that occurred. We had been mates, and he was an awesome teammate. And now we’re simply on totally different groups.”
Whereas Tuesday was a day for Ohtani to meet up with previous mates, it was additionally one other alternative for him to prepare for the upcoming season. Ohtani got here into Tuesday’s sport 5-for-7 this spring with a homer and a triple. He had reached base seven consecutive occasions.
However Ohtani struck out in his first two at-bats on Tuesday and flied out to Trout in heart in his third and ultimate at-bat. Outcomes, in fact, don’t imply something for Ohtani and the regulars. All that issues for Ohtani this spring is that he feels wholesome.
Ohtani, who underwent a second main proper elbow surgical procedure in September and won’t pitch this yr, is beginning to present that he’s wholesome sufficient to play when the Dodgers tackle the Padres in Seoul, South Korea, from March 20-21.
“I feel we are able to say the hitting a part of the rehab is over formally,” Ohtani mentioned. “Now I simply have to get extra at-bats, have high quality at-bats, be capable to see the ball and get my timing down.”
Earlier than the beginning of Cactus League video games, Ohtani mentioned he wished to get round 50 at-bats earlier than the Seoul Sequence. These at-bats could be a mixture of reside batting follow, simulated at-bats within the hitting lab and Cactus League video games.
At this level, Ohtani seems to be proper the place he needs to be. He’ll get one other likelihood at three at-bats on Wednesday in opposition to the White Sox, the primary time he’ll play on back-to-back days this spring. It’s one other optimistic register what has been a clean spring for the brand new Dodgers famous person.
“That was the primary night time sport shortly,” Ohtani mentioned. “I’m nonetheless getting used to seeing with my eyes in night time video games, however I ought to be there. My final at-bat felt fairly good. I received jammed a bit bit. However total, I’m fairly happy with the standard and the outcomes of my at-bats.”
