LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani made an impressive Los Angeles Dodgers debut on Tuesday, smashing a two-run homer in his new club’s 9-6 Major League Baseball pre-season victory over the Chicago White Sox.
The 29-year-old designated hitter blasted his homer in the fifth inning and went 1-for-3 at the plate before being removed at the start of the sixth inning of the exhibition game at Glendale, Arizona.
“Definitely a big first step,” Ohtani said through a translator.
“The biggest thing was that I was able to finish off the game without any problems.”
Ohtani won his second American League Most Valuable Player award in six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels last year but departed for free agency after failing to enjoy even a winning season, much less reach the MLB playoffs.
Known for his skills as a pitcher as well as swinging the bat, Ohtani will not take the mound in 2024 after undergoing right elbow surgery last September.
Simply playing, however, is another key step in his recovery, which he expects will see him play in this season’s MLB opening games against San Diego in Seoul from 20 to 21 March.
“Not really any nerves because it was just a spring training game,” Ohtani said. “I was more focused on getting ready for the season, doing what I’ve got to do.”
Ohtani batted second in the Dodgers’ lineup between two other past MVP players, leadoff second baseman Mookie Betts and first baseman Freddie Freeman.
“No matter where I’m hitting in the lineup, I’m really not going to change my approach,” Ohtani said.
“I definitely think it’s going to help me, not only having Freddie behind me but Mookie in front of me and a bunch of great hitters past Freddie. I’m excited to find out how it’s going to feel.”
Smiling as he walked to the plate in the first inning, Ohtani took the first pitch high of the strike zone then swung on the next and missed so hard his helmet came off. He wound up being retired on a called third strike.
Ohtani batted again in the third and grounded into a double play that scored Jose Ramos from third base to lift the Dodgers level at 1-1.
“I definitely felt good at the plate,” Ohtani said.
“I felt better each time I got up, so everything is trending in the right direction.”
Paul DeJong’s three-run homer in the fourth inning gave the White Sox a 4-1 lead, but Ohtani answered quickly.
In the fifth, Ohtani blasted a two-out, two-run homer over the centerfield fence off Chicago right-hander Dominic Leone to a standing ovation from the crowd, pulling the Dodgers within 4-3.
“Definitely felt the energy of the crowd. Very appreciative,” Ohtani said.
“I thought I hit it a little too high, but maybe (hot and dry) Arizona factored in a little bit.”
Chicago boosted the lead to 5-3 but the Dodgers pulled level on run-scoring hits by Chris Okey and Ryan Ward in the seventh and Okey drove in the deciding runs with a three-run homer in the eighth.
Ohtani said the debut felt much different than in 2018 when he played for the Angels for the first time after just arriving from Japan.
“It’s obviously a lot different because six years ago I had no idea what I was really doing,” he said. “Now I’ve kind of got the hang of this.”
Ohtani, who helped Japan win last year’s World Baseball Classic, signed a 10-year deal worth $700 million with the Dodgers last December.
But Ohtani deferred most of the richest contract in professional sports history so the club could spend more on other players to build a championship contender.
The Dodgers added more talent, signing Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a 12-year contract worth $325 million last December.
The 25-year-old right-hander, named the Japan League’s top pitcher each of the past three seasons, will make his Dodgers’ debut on Wednesday against reigning World Series champion Texas.
