Shohei Ohtani is in his first spring training with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and is coming off of receiving Tommy John surgery at the end of last season. Ohtani gave a good update on the live batting practice sessions he has had so far with the Dodgers.
“I'm feeling good at the plate, seeing the ball well,” Shohei Ohtani said through an interpreter, via Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. “Otherwise there's nothing there (with his elbow). So it's a really good sign.”
Ohtani will not be pitching this year with the Dodgers as he recovers from the Tommy John surgery he received, but he will be able to be a designated hitter for the team. He will form an elite trio at the top of the lineup with Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.
It will be interesting to see how soon Ohtani plays in spring training games. The first spring training game for the Dodgers is on Thursday against the San Diego Padres. Regardless of when Ohtani makes his spring debut, he seems on a good track to be ready to be a designated hitter by the first regular season games against the Padres in Seoul on March 20 and 21.
The Dodgers will come into the year as the favorites to win the World Series this year. It will be interesting to see how Ohtani fares alongside Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. On paper, the Dodgers should be as dangerous as anyone, and we will have to see what happens as the regular season plays out.