CLEVELAND – For the second straight day, Shohei Ohtani led off the sport with a house run, and within the Dodgers’ 7-2 win over the Guardians on Monday, he did it on the primary pitch he noticed. Ohtani circled a 96.5 mph fastball from starter Gavin Williams, sending it into the right-field stands at 115 mph.
It was Ohtani’s nineteenth homer of the season, passing Aaron Choose and Kyle Schwarber for the MLB lead.
On Sunday at Citi Discipline, Ohtani hit a leadoff homer off Kodai Senga, just a few hours after dealing with hitters on the mound for the primary time as a pitcher since becoming a member of the Dodgers in an enormous step ahead for the two-way famous person.
On Monday, Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts confirmed that Ohtani had completed that session unscathed.
“He got here out feeling good,” Roberts mentioned pregame Monday with a smile.
Ohtani threw largely fastballs, cutters and sinkers, in addition to some sweepers and splitters. His fastball sat round 94-95 mph and touched 97 mph.
That routine is now going to be a weekly occasion, per Roberts.
“It’s going to be as soon as every week, to my understanding,” Roberts mentioned. “I’m positive there’s going to be some contact and really feel.”
Roberts mentioned that he’ll doubtless throw once more on Thursday on the group’s off-day forward of their World Sequence rematch with the Yankees over the weekend, however there might be an opportunity that it might occur Wednesday relying on how Ohtani was feeling.
“I in all probability don’t see it taking place right here on Wednesday right here, however that’s extra on Shohei,” Roberts mentioned.
Whereas the Dodgers are nonetheless main the Nationwide League West, including Ohtani could be a lift to a rotation that entered play on Monday with a 4.25 ERA (twenty third in MLB).
Ohtani known as his outcomes on Sunday a “good signal.” Beginning now, it’s going to be a superb signal that Dodgers brass goes to see each week.
