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The Los Angeles Dodgers have been cruising right along as of late, currently sitting at 20-10 after a recent home demolition of the Miami Marlins by a score of 15-2. The game marked the first home run in a while for superstar Shohei Ohtani, who sent one into the seats in the first inning.
Ohtani recently took a brief leave from the team for the birth of his daughter, and now, manager Dave Roberts believes that Ohtani's newfound “dad strength” could help make him even more successful on the diamond.
“Now that he's a father,” Roberts said last week, per the Associated Press (via ESPN), “we might see some 120 mph exit velocities off the bat.”
Ohtani also spoke on the feeling of getting the home run monkey off of his back.
“It was a good home run to get back on the board for this game,” Ohtani said through an interpreter on Tuesday. “I haven't hit one since being a father, so it's a really nice one to be able to do that.”
Despite a brief slump (at least by his standards), Ohtani remains the best player in the sport, and the Dodgers are hoping that he will also be able to extend those talents to the pitching mound at some point this season.
Ohtani hasn't thrown a pitch in an MLB game since he was a member of the Los Angeles Angels in 2023, but if he is able to return to the mound at some point this year, it could give the Dodgers a major boost in that department.
Los Angeles' pitching staff has been dealt its fair share of injuries this year, including to Blake Snell and Clayton Kershaw, as well as Ohtani.
Still, that hasn't stopped the most talented roster in the MLB from cruising to a solid record at this early juncture of the season.
