It was a special day at Dodgers spring training camp on Monday as prized offseason signing Shohei Ohtani took to the backfields at Camelback Ranch for batting practice. It was his first time hitting on a field since undergoing season-ending elbow surgery last September.
Unsurprisingly, the event drew quite a crowd of fans, reporters, and members of the Dodger organization.
All the angles:
Shohei Ohtani taking BP #Dodgers pic.twitter.com/ErsqlJITYd
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) February 12, 2024
Shohei Ohtani’s first on-field swing post-surgery: pic.twitter.com/bPIdQTn4hp
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) February 12, 2024
Shohei Ohtani takes a ball and then absolutely crushes one on his second swing on the field pic.twitter.com/3nq5kCQRZO
— Juan Toribio (@juanctoribio) February 12, 2024
Shohei Ohtani is taking on-field batting practice today for the first time since his surgery last year pic.twitter.com/EVKohl7rjT
— Jack Harris (@ByJackHarris) February 12, 2024
Altogether he connected on 10 home runs in 21 swings, according to MLB.com’s Juan Toribio he added one ground rule double.
Correction (thanks to our new Japanese reporters that are around), #Dodgers Shohei Ohtani actually hit 10 homers. He took 21 swings. https://t.co/6pAJt9i0lz
— Juan Toribio (@juanctoribio) February 12, 2024
Ready for the Sho? pic.twitter.com/SgaYlcY0Wg
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) February 12, 2024
Ohtani Speaks About First BP On Field
Shohei addressed reporters after his hitting session on the field, saying that he uses on-field batting practice as a way to gauge his power while his cage work is “more technical,” according to Bill Plunkett of the OC Register.
All in all, the star felt great after BP number one this spring.
“I felt like the swings were feeling really good, which is a really good sign. I think it’s trending towards me being ready for Opening Day.” – via Fabian Ardaya.
Shohei Ohtani is a Los Angeles Dodger
Shohei Ohtani inked a record shattering 10-year, $700 million deal to join the Dodgers this offseason after spending his first 6 years in Major League Baseball with the LA Angels. After undergoing reconstructive surgery on his right elbow last September, he’ll miss the 2024 season as a pitcher but is expected to be fully ready to DH by opening day.
Monday’s round of batting practice on the field helps confirm that he’s one step closer to making that expectation a reality.
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