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Alden González, ESPN writer
LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani, rehabbing from elbow surgery as a pitcher while also preparing as a hitter, said he is “very confident” he will be ready to serve as the Los Angeles Dodgers’ designated hitter when they open their season in the South. Korea on March 20. His manager, Dave Roberts, also knows where he will hit.
Roberts sat on a makeshift stage on the center field grass at Dodger Stadium Saturday afternoon and revealed the top three spots in his star-studded lineup to those attending the team’s Fan Fest event, announcing that Mookie Betts would start the game. , Freddie Freeman. he would bat second and Ohtani would bat third. It unleashed a loud roar from a crowd of about 35,000, many of whom were sporting new Ohtani jerseys and T-shirts to commemorate the Dodgers’ $700 million acquisition.
“The Dodgers, Los Angeles, are going to be the epicenter of sports and baseball,” Roberts said, alluding to an offseason in which his team allocated about $1.2 billion to Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Teoscar Hernández and James Paxton in the After a 100-win season.
“It’s fantastic for our game, it’s fantastic for the city and it raises the bar for all of us.”
Ohtani, who underwent something very similar to his second Tommy John surgery on Sept. 19, has been flipping and hitting off the tee and will begin picking up speed shortly after reporting to the team’s spring training complex in Glendale, Texas. Arizona, next week.
His pitching schedule is still largely undetermined, but he said he is “right on schedule” with his hitting progression and appears confident he will play in a highly anticipated two-game series against the division rival San Diego Padres. , in South Korea, a nation is already clamoring for a close look at Ohtani.
“The rehab has gone very well,” Ohtani said through interpreter Ippei Mizuhara. “Just as planned so far. As long as it’s ready for March 20, I think I’ll be playing all year.”
Dodgers shortstop Gavin Lux, who missed the entire 2023 season after tearing an ACL in spring training, also hopes to be ready at the start of the season. The same goes for reliever Blake Treinen, who has been limited to five appearances the last two years due to shoulder problems; he hopes to have a “normal” spring training.
Walker Buehler, coming off his second Tommy John surgery, will navigate the 2024 season with an innings limit and will start a little late to stay within that mark without having to shut down for the season.
The Dodgers’ rotation has been completely remade this offseason, even though Ohtani won’t pitch until 2025. Yamamoto, Glasnow and Paxton join incumbents Buehler and Bobby Miller, with players like Emmet Sheehan, Gavin Stone and Michael Grove ready to go. To intervene. Dustin May, recovering from flexor tendon surgery, may also be an option at some point this season.
But the Dodgers still have hopes of bringing back Clayton Kershaw, who underwent shoulder surgery in early November and is not expected to return until midseason at the earliest. Kershaw is expected to eventually sign a two-year contract with either the Dodgers or his hometown Texas Rangers.
“We remain in contact with Clayton,” Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said, “and we will make progress.”