Ohtani, the unanimous 2024 Nationwide League MVP after the primary 50-homer/50-stolen base season in Main League historical past, took his first reside batting follow of the spring Sunday.
Ohtani noticed 32 pitches from Minor League right-hander Nicolas Cruz and took 18 swings, going through reside pitching for the primary time since present process surgical procedure Nov. 5 to restore a torn labrum in his left shoulder suffered within the World Collection.
“Shohei appeared good,” supervisor Dave Roberts mentioned. “He acquired lots of swings off. He mentioned he felt good afterward. He hit a few balls onerous, which is sweet to see. I’m excited that he acquired to face some pitchers. We’re nonetheless on monitor for [the] finish of subsequent week that he will probably be in a sport DHing.”
Proper-hander Sasaki, MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 total prospect, in the meantime, threw about 30 pitches in his second bullpen session of the spring, which was held within the indoor cages at Camelback Ranch.
“We threw him in a cage and acquired some expertise on him, simply to sort of get a baseline for him,” Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior mentioned. “It is one thing that we do with all of our pitchers, all through, up and down by the group.”
Ohtani will make his first look in a Spring Coaching sport later this week, supervisor Dave Roberts mentioned, though a agency date has not been set. He will probably be within the lineup within the Tokyo Collection in opposition to the Cubs from March 18-19, the place Sasaki is predicted to begin the second sport.
Sasaki is scheduled to make his first spring look Tuesday in opposition to the White Sox in what Prior referred to as a “hybrid B-game,” as Minor League camps haven’t opened. Blake Snell is to begin the Dodgers’ Cactus League sport that day.
“These first couple weeks [are] actually each of us making an attempt to get to know one another after which strive[ing] to progress from there,” Prior mentioned of Sasaki. “Get him dialed in with some issues that he needs to work on.”
