Oh boy, spring training has kicked off. Guess who’s first to the party? Yep, the Los Angeles Dodgers. After a flashy — think billion-dollar flashy — offseason, it’s no surprise. They’re setting up camp, and guess what? The Dodgers and the San Diego Padres are jetting off to South Korea for their season opener on March 20-21. They’re the early birds this year. Meanwhile, the rest of the gang, all 28 teams, will catch up next week.
So, Friday marks a big day for Shohei Ohtani. It’s his first official day donning the Dodgers uniform. Despite being the talk of the town, he’s playing it cool, almost rookie-like. “I’m on a brand new team, so I’m gonna act like I’m a rookie and try to get along with all the guys,” Ohtani shared (
). Humble, right?
Oh, and there’s news on his elbow surgery rehab. Ohtani’s swinging at 100% already, folks. Next up? He’s facing the high-velocity pitching machine and live pitchers,
. Been there, done that in 2019, so he’s pretty optimistic about this season.
But here’s the kicker: the details of Ohtani’s elbow surgery are still kinda hush-hush. What’s clear is he won’t be pitching this season. He’s all in as a DH and batting third, as announced by manager Dave Roberts at the Fan Fest. So, the lineup’s looking spicy with names like Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and of course, Ohtani himself.
Last season, before his elbow waved the white flag, Ohtani was on fire. We’re talking a .304/.412/.654 with 44 home runs. He topped the charts in homers, total bases, you name it. Plus, he snagged the AL MVP unanimously. Again. The dude’s a machine.
And let’s not forget the contract that broke the internet – a 10-year, $700 million deal. But with some financial wizardry, it’s more like $460 million in today’s money. Oh, and there’s also Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who’s now rocking the largest pitching contract in history with the Dodgers.
Last year, the Dodgers were supposed to be in chill mode but ended up dominating the NL West. Yet, they got blindsided in the Division Series by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Talk about a plot twist.
