SEOUL, South Korea — Shohei Ohtani could also be greater than only a designated hitter this season in spite of everything.
Los Angeles Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts stated Monday that Ohtani — dominated out this 12 months as a pitcher after his second surgical procedure on his proper elbow — will quickly begin a throwing program that may enable him to play within the area this season.
“Shohei this 12 months is primarily going to be the designated hitter,” Roberts stated. “As soon as we get again to the States, he’s going to begin his throwing program, which he hasn’t began but. We’ll see how that development goes. If his arm is wholesome sufficient, we’ll have that dialog within the area. I do know he isn’t going to pitch this 12 months.”
It is the primary signal that Ohtani might do extra than simply DH after signing a $700 million, 10-year contract with the Dodgers. After all, when he may play within the area is unclear, as is whether or not it occurs in any respect.
Ohtani and the Dodgers open the MLB season Wednesday in Seoul in a two-game sequence towards the San Diego Padres, the primary MLB video games in South Korea. Ohtani has been the main focus of the whole lot, together with bringing his spouse with him after asserting final month he had married.
Ohtani’s Japanese good friend Yu Darvish will begin for the Padres on Wednesday, dealing with Ohtani for the primary time in a regulation recreation.
Darvish was a star for Japan’s Nippon-Ham Fighters till he left for the majors after his 2011 season. The brand new star who stepped in for Hokkaido — in 2013 — was none aside from Ohtani.
The 2 have been associates and have been teammates final 12 months when Japan defeated the US within the ultimate of the World Baseball Traditional.
However they’ve by no means confronted one another. That ends Wednesday.
“Darvish is any person I’ve all the time appeared as much as,” Ohtani stated this week. “He is somebody I actually respect as a pitcher.
“I had an opportunity to work out with him this previous offseason,” Ohtani added. “He is an efficient good friend of mine. I have never confronted him up so far, so I am very excited to have the ability to face him lastly.”
Darvish, who’s 103-85 in his MLB profession, has been overshadowed by Ohtani, however this gives him an opportunity to take heart stage.
Ohtani’s report as a pitcher in MLB is 38-19.
“After all, we have now skilled collectively prior to now, however this time I shall be dealing with him as an opponent,” Darvish stated. “So I’ll analyze him totally, and I need to face him as a batter with out including an excessive amount of private feeling.”