When will Shohei Ohtani make his spring training debut for the Dodgers?
Ohtani is scheduled to take some strokes in the Cactus League shortly.
Shohei Ohtani put together one of the finest offensive seasons the sport has ever seen in 2024, leading the National League in home runs, RBI, and OPS and becoming the first player in Major League history to join the 50-50 club while helping the Los Angeles Dodgers capture the World Series.
All of which prompts one question: What can Ohtani do for an encore?
Most of the talk around Ohtani this offseason has focused on his recruitment of countryman Roki Sasaki to L.A. as well as his hotly anticipated return to the mound after undergoing elbow surgery back in 2023.
But don’t forget that he also required shoulder surgery this past winter, the consequence of an injury he sustained while sliding into second base during the Fall Classic.
That injury has delayed Ohtani’s buildup some this spring training, but Dave Roberts affirmed on Wednesday that his two-way sensation will make his Cactus League debut very shortly.
When will Shohei Ohtani make his spring training debut for the Dodgers?
Asked about Ohtani’s progress, Roberts told reporters that everything remains on schedule, adding that Ohtani is scheduled to appear in a game for the first time this spring on Friday night against the Los Angeles Angels.
The 30-year-old will once again serve as L.A.’s DH, the same role he occupied all of last season.
It’s unclear precisely how rapid Ohtani’s ramp-up will be and how many repetitions he’ll need before the Dodgers begin their regular season in the Tokyo Series against the Chicago Cubs on March 18.
As for his pitching, that remains a work in progress: Ohtani has been throwing bullpens frequently during camp, but he likely won’t make his Dodgers debut on the mound until some time in May at the earliest.
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