GLENDALE, Ariz. — About quarter-hour earlier than first pitch, Shohei Ohtani ran to the opposite aspect of the sector. 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 Helpful Participant for a couple of minutes.
After sharing some moments and taking a couple of footage along with his former teammates, Ohtani, for the primary time in his profession, ran again in the other 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.
“Plenty of the boys have been right here at present,” Ohtani mentioned by interpreter Ippei Mizuhara. “So I acquired to meet up with most of them.”
Ohtani mentioned his former coaches and teammates didn’t give him a tough time for carrying 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 resolution 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 form of is what it’s,” Ohtani mentioned. “If I used to be enjoying on the Angels’ house, it might need been a little bit completely different story.”
Mentioned Trout: “I simply congratulated him on every part and all of the stuff that occurred over the winter — the wedding, the contract, simply all of the issues that occurred. We have been pals, and he was an ideal teammate. And now we’re simply on completely different groups.”
Whereas Tuesday was a day for Ohtani to meet up with previous pals, 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 12 months, 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 will say the hitting a part of the rehab is over formally,” Ohtani mentioned. “Now I simply must get extra at-bats, have high quality at-bats, be capable of see the ball and get my timing down.”
Earlier than the beginning of Cactus League video games, Ohtani mentioned he needed to get round 50 at-bats earlier than the Seoul Sequence. These at-bats could be a mixture of stay batting apply, 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 evening sport shortly,” Ohtani mentioned. “I’m nonetheless getting used to seeing with my eyes in evening video games, however I needs to be there. My final at-bat felt fairly good. I acquired jammed a little bit bit. However general, I’m fairly happy with the standard and the outcomes of my at-bats.”