Shohei Ohtani will be pitching in the very next season, and preparations for that have already begun. The Japanese baseball player has already broken numerous records at bat, and many wonder, will he also break some records while pitching? Well, the Los Angeles Dodgers aren’t putting pressure on their $700 million; in fact, they are going with when Ohtani feels ready.
Earlier, Dave Roberts had said that it would be very unlikely that Shohei Ohtani would pitch during the Tokyo series. Ohtani underwent elbow surgery this offseason and has been in recovery since. However, the latest reports suggest that the two-way phenom has been experimenting in his training sessions. MLB insider Bob Nightingale recently shared an update on X regarding Shohei Ohtani’s spring training sessions: “Shohei Ohtani, who pitched out of the stretch with the Angels, now has been experimenting with a full windup in Dodgers bullpen sessions.”
The Japanese player apparently told the reporters that as part of being a baseball player, he does want to explore different avenues to see if he could grow as a player. He had Tommy John surgery as a rookie in 2018 and had his second major elbow operation in 2023 to restore his UCL. The Dodgers have a number of players who can take the ball while Ohtani recovers, and they are anticipated to use a six-man rotation this season. Among them is Roki Sasaki, who was signed by the Dodgers last month.
Newly acquired Roki Sasaki is set to make a debut in his home country
The Los Angeles Dodgers are set to start their season in Tokyo next month, with two of Japan’s top pitchers, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki, expected to take the mound. Who will be the first one to pitch? Manager Dave Roberts confirmed that Yamamoto will start Game 1 on March 18, while Sasaki is lined up for Game 2 on March 19.
Sasaki’s inclusion in the rotation, though, is dependent on his performance during spring training. Although it is intended that the 23-year-old will pitch in Game 2, Roberts stressed that the exact moment would rely on how Sasaki recovers, noting, “A lot of it is more contingent on the unknown of how he responds to Spring Training and his buildup, and we just want to make sure that he’s in a good position and feels good about when he pitches.”
Both pitchers are highly anticipated by fans, as they represent the growing talent coming from Japan to Major League Baseball. A dramatic clash between two elite arms who transitioned from the NPB to MLB last season is anticipated when Shota Imanaga, on the other side, is scheduled to get the ball for the Cubs in the opening game.
