Shohei Ohtani Shines in Spring Debut with 4 1/3 Scoreless Innings for the Los Angeles Dodgers
Ohtani Shines in Spring Training Debut on the Mound
In a promising spring training debut, Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Shohei Ohtani showcased his skills on the mound, firing a 99-mph fastball past Willy Adames for his first strikeout on Wednesday.
Despite limited opportunities to pitch over the last two and a half years, Ohtani displayed no signs of rust. He delivered an impressive performance, allowing just one hit, two walks, and hitting one batter over 4 1/3 scoreless innings against the San Francisco Giants. In total, he threw 61 pitches, with 34 finding the strike zone.
“The stuff was really good — it’s going to get more crisp as he gets out there and gets regular pitching,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “He knows he only has a couple of outings before the start of the season, so he was focused. To have him touch the fifth inning was a huge win for us.”
Ohtani maintained his composure despite soaring temperatures near 100 degrees at Camelback Ranch in Arizona. He needed only five pitches to retire the side in the first inning. In the second, he allowed a leadoff double to Heliot Ramos but efficiently struck out three consecutive batters, including Adames and Will Brennan.
“I was pretty happy with the pitch count today,” Ohtani stated through an interpreter. “In terms of the next outing, I do want to be better at executing on two-strike counts. I just didn’t finish off hitters as much as I wanted.”
Before this outing, Ohtani had participated in live batting practice sessions with the Dodgers and played as a designated hitter for Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic earlier in March. This marked his first competitive appearance on the mound since Game 7 of the World Series on November 1.
Roberts indicated that Ohtani will likely make one more preseason start next week ahead of the regular season opener on March 26.
Ohtani aims to complete his first full season on the mound since 2022, when he recorded a 15-9 record with a 2.33 ERA in 28 starts for the Los Angeles Angels. An elbow injury late in the 2023 season sidelined him for all of 2024 as a pitcher. After returning midway through 2025, he achieved a 2.87 ERA over 14 regular-season starts and contributed to the Dodgers’ back-to-back World Series title with a 2-1 postseason record and a 4.43 ERA.
On Wednesday, Ohtani chose to focus solely on pitching, forgoing hitting given the oppressive heat. Roberts confirmed that Ohtani is expected to be in the lineup as the designated hitter for Friday’s game against the Padres.
“He’s already taken enough at-bats, so I don’t think the at-bats are a concern,” Roberts added.
Ohtani’s recent return to Dodgers camp followed Japan’s quarterfinal elimination from the World Baseball Classic, during which he recorded a notable .462 batting average, with three home runs over five games.
