His performance solely as a designated hitter was good enough to earn him the 2024 National League MVP award, but Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani has a strong desire to remain a two-way player as long as he can.
In an online press conference Monday, Ohtani also revealed his ambition to resume pitching by the start of the new season following surgery on his non-throwing left shoulder, which he dislocated in October during Game 2 of the World Series.
Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws a bullpen session before a National League baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona, on Aug. 31, 2024. (Kyodo)
Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers winces after dislocating his shoulder while attempting to steal second base during Game 2 of Major League Baseball’s World Series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Oct. 26, 2024. (Kyodo)
The Dodgers will open the 2025 season against the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo on March 18, and while manager Dave Roberts said a mound appearance by Ohtani in Japan is unlikely, the player himself seems more optimistic.
“I want to focus on returning as soon as possible, and the earliest time is when the season starts,” Ohtani said.
Ohtani spent the past season, his first at Dodger Stadium, focusing on batting while rehabilitating his pitching arm following his second major elbow surgery in the fall of 2023.
With his pitching duties on hold, he had a historic year at the plate, becoming the first Major League Baseball player to record 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season while leading the NL in both home runs and RBIs.
He also experienced his first MLB playoff on the way to victory in the World Series against the New York Yankees.
The 30-year-old hopes his throwing arm will hold up for “five or six years” after the latest elbow surgery but says he is prepared to go under the knife a third time if necessary to prolong his career as a two-way player.
Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers plays catch before Game 1 of Major League Baseball’s World Series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Oct. 25, 2024. (Kyodo)
“From a young age, I’ve built my body with the expectation that I would get injured. As the workload increases, surgery for chronic elbow problems becomes inevitable,” he said.
“I want to continue playing as a two-way player for a long time. Realistically, two surgeries are the most you want as a pitcher. If I need a third, I don’t want it to be in the next five years. Given my age, it depends on my condition at that time as to whether surgery, then a year to recover, is the right move after turning 35.”
