Shohei Ohtani homers in 1st at-bat of Dodgers spring coaching … towards the Angels

Shohei Ohtani has spent extra time operating on his pitching this spring coaching. He can nonetheless overwhelm a ball, even though. (Photograph by way of Brandon Sloter/Getty Photographs)In his spring coaching debut Friday, Shohei Ohtani picked up the place he left off in his 50-50 2024 marketing campaign.The Los Angeles Dodgers big name hit a full-count, opposite-field house run in his first at-bat in Arizona, overcoming the lefty-lefty drawback to take countryman Yusei Kikuchi into the left-field stands. The homer got here towards his former staff, the Los Angeles Angels.That used to be the one hit Ohtani would get, as he popped up towards Kikuchi in his subsequent at-bat then struck out towards Chase Silseth.Ohtani is coming off the primary 50-homer, 50-stolen-base season in MLB historical past, in addition to his first Global Sequence championship and 3rd MVP award. He hit six leadoff homers closing yr.This spring coaching is other than closing yr’s for Ohtani, even though, as he’s additionally making ready to pitch his first innings as a Dodger. After spending all of 2024 as a delegated hitter whilst rehabbing from fundamental elbow surgical treatment, Ohtani is slated to renew his two-way stardom.That pitching timeline used to be sophisticated within the Global Sequence when he tore the labrum in his left, non-throwing shoulder. After in the past being anticipated to be in a position to pitch on Opening Day, Ohtani is now slated to begin pitching once more as early as Might. He’s going to no longer undergo a rehab project, because the Dodgers don’t need to lose his bat within the major-league lineup.Ohtani threw his first bullpen consultation previous this month, sitting at 92-94 mph together with his fastball. He has persevered to tinker since then, and the Dodgers will welcome him again as soon as he is in a position, particularly as it way they are going to have the ability to get started the use of a six-man rotation with a unit no longer recognized for its chronic well being.Then again the pitching works out this yr, the Dodgers will have to nonetheless have his bat. As he confirmed all of closing yr, and once more Friday, that is sufficient to make quite a lot of distinction. The Dodgers entered spring coaching because the transparent Global Sequence favourite after an lively and costly offseason, with their payroll sitting round $400 million.