CLEVELAND — There aren’t many times when you can say Shohei Ohtani is improving.
However, the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar is having a great May after not finding his power stroke until June 1 most seasons.
Ohtani has hit a leadoff homer in consecutive games for the second time in his career.
In Monday night’s 7-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians, the reigning National League MVP drove a low, inside fastball from Gavin Williams into the right-field stands for his major-league-leading 19th homer of the season.
According to Major League Baseball, Ohtani is the fourth player in franchise history with at least 19 home runs in the Dodgers’ first 54 games, joining Cody Bellinger (19 in 2019), Roy Campanella (19 in 1955) and Gil Hodges (20 in 1951).
It was Ohtani’s fifth leadoff homer this season and 17th since arriving in the majors from Japan in 2018. It was the second time this year he went deep on the first pitch.
It was the third time Williams allowed a homer on the first pitch, tied with the Athletics’ Jeffrey Springs, Milwaukee’s Nestor Cortes and Boston’s Tanner Houck for the most this season.
“Shohei is always going to be aggressive early,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I think it was more control over command. It was a high-velocity fastball. He was set up away and yanked it down and into his nitro zone.”
Ohtani also had leadoff homers in consecutive games June 25-26 last season against the Chicago White Sox.
The slugger leads the majors with 12 homers in May and is fifth in RBIs with 23. He was a .259 hitter in May from 2018 through 2024 but is batting .305 this month.
Roberts said before the game that Ohtani is likely to throw a bullpen on the team’s off day Thursday after facing hitters Sunday for the first time in his rehab program. Ohtani is recovering from surgery on his right elbow on Sept. 19, 2023.
“He did come out of yesterday feeling good,” Roberts said.
BOSTON — Alex Bregman believes he could skip a minor-league rehab assignment and be back in the Boston Red Sox lineup before the All-Star break.
The two-time All-Star third baseman, who has been sidelined since May 24 with a strained right quad, said there’s even a chance his return could happen by the end of this week.
“Trending toward a return here pretty quickly,” Bregman said Monday night after Boston’s 9-3 win over the Rockies. “Whether it’s the end of this week or first game after the break. One of those two. But hoping it will be the end of this week.”
Boston finishes it’s three-game series with Colorado on Wednesday, then hosts Tampa Bay for a four-game series Thursday through Sunday to conclude its first-half schedule.
Boston had high hopes for Bregman, 31, entering the season after he signed as a free agent to a $120 million, three-year deal during the offseason. And he had had been on a torrid pace to start the season, hitting .299 with 11 homers and 35 RBIs before suffering his injury. But Monday marked the 40th game he’s been sidelined.
His injury is similar to the one he sustained to his left quad strain in 2021 with Houston, which cost him 58 games. But unlike that injury, Bregman said he is hopeful he can return to action without a stint in the minors.
Though, he said an ultimate decision will be made after a consultation with the medical and training staff.
“We’re still going to talk about it as a group,” Bregman said. “I think we’re going to have another discussion (Tuesday). But I feel like I can go play and get ready to go.”
The timing synchs up with Bregman being named to his third All-Star team on Sunday as a reserve. But, he said he doesn’t think there’s any chance he’d be able to participate.
While he said he may make an appearance and take his son to the Home Run Derby, he’ll spend the rest of the break maintaining his fitness in preparation for the second half of the season.
“What I need to do is hopefully be back playing by the end of this week,” he said, “and use the All-Star break to continue to build up, work on my leg and make sure that we continue the progression the right way.”
The milestone hit came off Arizona starter Zac Gallen leading off the fourth inning. Machado received a standing ovation from the crowd at Petco Park, where he has been a fan favorite since he joined the Padres as a free agent in 2019.
The All-Star slugger singled to left field in the first inning for his 1,999th hit and then hit a solo home run in the eighth for his 2,0001st hit. The three-hit performance wasn’t enough to lift San Diego, however, as it fell 6-3.
Machado became the fifth active player and 297th all time to reach the milestone. He is the 12th player to have 350 homers and 2,000 hits by his age-32 season or younger.
“Literally, hat’s off. It’s quite an accomplishment,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said after the loss on 97.3 The Fan. “To have done it, as soon as he’s done it in his career, speaks volumes. … I’m so happy for him. He’s earned it all.”
Machado made his debut with Baltimore in 2012 and had 977 hits with the Orioles before being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 18, 2018. He had 73 hits with the Dodgers before signing as a free agent with the Padres on Feb. 21, 2019.
He has 950 hits with the Padres, which ranks fifth on the franchise list. Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn had 3,141 in his 20-season career.
Machado was voted the starting third baseman for the National League All-Star team this season.
Why he could win: Acuna has been crushing it since he returned to the lineup May 23 after knee surgery. Indeed, his numbers are even better than during his MVP season in 2023. It should help that he’ll be hitting in front of his home fans in Atlanta: Todd Frazier in Cincinnati in 2015 and Bryce Harper with the Nationals in 2018 rode the loud support to Derby titles. Acuna’s raw power should also translate well to the Derby: Among players with at least 500 at-bats since 2023, he has the longest average home run distance in the majors.
Why he might not: Will he run into Pete Alonso again? Acuna competed in the 2019 and 2022 contests, losing both times to Alonso by a single home run (in the semifinals in 2019 and in the first round in 2022). The home-field advantage can also perhaps be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first with 41 home runs but then tired out in the second round.
2025 home runs: 35 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, with 32 home runs, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.
Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.
2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 451 feet
Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.
Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.
2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet
Why he can win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.
Why he won’t: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.