GLENDALE, Ariz. — Shohei Ohtani played for the first time in what is expected to be only a couple of Cactus League games for the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers before he departs the desert to join Japan for the World Baseball Classic.
He was in the lineup leading off as designated hitter and went 1 for 3 with an infield single, groundout and strikeout during the club’s spring training opener Saturday afternoon against the Angels at Tempe Diablo Stadium.
Ohtani hit a roller for a single to start the game, then grounded out to second on six pitches the next inning before striking out swinging in his second at-bat of the inning to end the Dodgers’ six-run second that put Los Angeles up 9-0.
He called it a day after that and ran off the field out of a gate in right field during a pitching change in the second, when countryman Yoshinobu Yamamoto exited from what manager Dave Roberts said would be his only spring start before he also joins the Japanese team for the WBC. But Yamamoto announced after his outing that he expects to pitch again Friday against the San Francisco Giants.
“Sometimes he takes two and he feels good, or he wants that third at-bat,” manager Dave Roberts said of Ohtani.
When asked about Ohtani’s travel plans, Roberts smiled and said, “I promised I’d try.”
“I know that it’s going to be soon. He’s going to play in a couple Cactus League games, but I’m not exactly sure when his plane ticket is. He hasn’t said,” Roberts said. “So I don’t know what day he’s going to join Team Japan.”
Ohtani is scheduled to pitch against live hitting Sunday — and Roberts has already said the 31-year-old two-way star should be in the Cy Young Award conversation this season.
Reigning World Series MVP Yamamoto had been scheduled to throw two innings and around 35 pitches. He gave up two runs and three hits in 1⅔ innings with three strikeouts.
“I was looking for some stuff I needed to get back before I go back to Japan and join the team. I was looking forward to the feeling, the delivery and those things,” Yamamoto said in Tempe through interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda. “And then when I was coming out of the game, Doc came to the mound and he said, ‘Good luck in the WBC’ but I have one more game to pitch.”
Beforehand, Roberts spoke of what will be a thoughtful buildup process for Yamamoto given his lengthy postseason in which he pitched six times.
“Obviously him going and pitching for Team Japan, he’s going to be kind of trying to ramp it up and get prepared, so I think it’s just more of what he does strike one, use his secondaries and be efficient and get some outs,” Roberts said.
Once Yamamoto returns to Los Angeles’ camp, he will be scheduled for around four innings and 60 pitches initially, according to Roberts.
The 27-year-old Yamamoto, who signed a $325 million, 12-year contract in December 2023, went 3-0 with a 1.09 ERA in the Dodgers’ seven-game World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays — so his workload after that outstanding October is something the Dodgers will monitor closely.
“I think it’s up to all of us to be mindful of workloads and short term, long term and all of that stuff, which we are,” Roberts said.
During his remarkable World Series, Yamamoto struck out 15 and walked two over 17⅔ innings, allowing two runs and 10 hits. He and Randy Johnson are the only pitchers since 1969 to win three games in one World Series.
“I think I’m confident because there’s no exact science on ramping up early and success,” Roberts said. “Or being methodical and not participating to result in success during the season. There’s just no exact science. I think for me and for all of us you’re just believing in the player, knowing that he knows what it takes to get ready for a season and he takes care of himself. So I think for me it’s an easy way to kind of think and wrap my head around just kind of believing in him, trusting him.”