Ohtani feels like he’s a rookie again with Dodgers
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Alden Gonzalez, ESPN Staff Writer
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Roughly 70 media members formed a half-circle around a small backdrop at the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ facility late Friday morning, waiting for Shohei Ohtani to conduct his first media session. About a dozen of them had shown up hours earlier, before the sun had fully risen, just to catch a glimpse of him driving into the players’ parking lot.
Ohtani’s gravitas has been glaringly obvious through the first two days of spring training, but he’s merely trying to conduct himself as the new guy. After six years with the crosstown rival Los Angeles Angels, he sees himself as a “rookie” all over again.
“I like to go up and say hi, introduce myself,” Ohtani said through his interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara. “But there are so many people that I have to make sure I don’t introduce myself twice. If I do, hopefully they’ll let it go.”
Ohtani said he’s close to swinging at full intensity and will soon begin hitting velocity, a sign that he remains on track to be the Dodgers’ designated hitter when the team opens its season in South Korea on March 20. He dismissed concerns about the complexities of preparing himself as a hitter while rehabbing elbow surgery as a pitcher, noting he previously went through that process leading up to the 2022 season. He believes it will be “easier the second time around.”
The dedication and discipline that allowed Ohtani to thrive as a two-way player from 2021 to 2023 is already standing out. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has noticed how “intentional” and “regimented” Ohtani is with his work, adding that “every minute on the clock matters,” leaving precious few of them for small talk. Other players, Roberts said, have made it a point to observe him.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anybody more meticulous with their work, with every rep,” said Dodgers infielder Chris Taylor, among the small group of players who gathered at Dodger Stadium for workouts leading up to the start of spring training, alongside Ohtani, Gavin Lux and Walker Buehler, among others.
“Obviously we knew his work ethic was top shelf,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said, “but to see how deliberate everything he does is — our training staff has commented that they’ve never seen a guy returning from surgery that is so intentional about every single thing they do, from every swing he takes. Most guys get in the cage and they just kind of mindlessly swing. He does his whole pre-pitch routine before every swing. Just how intentional every single thing he does, whether it’s in the weight room, the cage, out on the field, that you can’t really fully appreciate until you see.”
Ohtani was diagnosed with a Grade 2 sprain of his ulnar collateral ligament in his right (pitching) elbow three months into his major league career in 2018 and didn’t emerge as a full-time two-way player until the start of his fourth season. From 2021 to 2023, Ohtani won two MVPs unanimously — he would’ve had a third if not for Aaron Judge‘s record-breaking home run season in 2022 — and accumulated 26.5 FanGraphs wins above replacement, far more than anybody else.
On Friday, Roberts confirmed what has long been obvious — that Ohtani, who underwent a hybrid version of a second Tommy John surgery in September, isn’t an option to pitch at any point in 2024. He believes having him as a Dodger will nonetheless “raise the bar” for the whole team, even though Ohtani is only fulfilling half his duties.
“There’s just a great sense of humility and kindness,” Roberts said of Ohtani, “but there’s that lion in there. You see it. And that, for me — that’s the perfect combo.”
Roberts told a DodgerFest crowd this past Saturday about his plan to bat Mookie Betts leadoff, Freddie Freeman second and Ohtani third when the games begin to count, but he cautioned Friday that he was just throwing that alignment out as an “exercise” to gauge fan sentiment. He wants to have a conversation with all three of them before solidifying the first three spots.
Ohtani significantly improved as a hitter from 2022 to 2023, his OPS jumping from .875 to a major league-leading 1.066. There was a thought within the Angels that juggling a two-way role actually helped him offensively, largely because he didn’t have time to dwell on negative outcomes. But perhaps focusing exclusively as a DH again — while residing in a superior lineup, and with far more experience than when he last took on that role exclusively in 2019 — will elevate his offensive game even further.
“I feel like there’s not just one level but several levels ahead offense-wise,” Ohtani said. “It’s just going to depend on what kind of lineup I’m in and everything. But at the end, my focus is going to be the same — keep the focus on my hitting and trying to get better.”
MILWAUKEE — Pete Alonso hit his 252nd career home run Saturday night, tying the New York Mets record held by Darryl Strawberry for 37 years.
Alonso, 30, connected against Milwaukee Brewers starter Tobias Myers to lead off the second inning for his 26th homer this season, giving the Mets a 1-0 lead in a game they would go on to lose, 7-4. The 413-foot shot to left-center came on a 1-2 fastball at the top of the strike zone.
It was Alonso’s fourth homer in eight games, since he went deep Aug. 1 against San Francisco to end an 0-for-19 slump.
A homegrown star drafted by the Mets in 2016, Alonso broke into the big leagues with a bang in 2019, hitting 53 home runs to set a major league rookie record and establish a franchise high for a single season.
The five-time All-Star has reached 40 two other times and been one of the most consistent sluggers in baseball since his arrival. After a protracted negotiation, he returned to the Mets as a free agent in February on a two-year, $54 million contract that includes a $24 million player option for 2026, which Alonso will likely decline.
The only other active players who lead their current franchise in home runs are Manny Machado (Padres) and Mike Trout (Angels).
Giancarlo Stanton, now with the New York Yankees, holds the Miami mark with 267 for the Marlins.
Strawberry broke the previous Mets record with his 155th home run on May 3, 1988, passing Dave Kingman. Strawberry hit 252 in 1,109 games for New York during his first eight major league seasons from 1983 to 1990. He later played for the Dodgers, Giants and Yankees, finishing his 17-year career with 335 homers.
Alonso played his 963rd game Saturday night. The durable first baseman has appeared in 370 straight, a team record.
The Diamondbacks and Padres are the lone major league clubs that haven’t had a player hit more than 252 homers for them. Luis Gonzalez holds the Arizona record with 224, and Machado entered Saturday with 187 for San Diego.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
NEW YORK — Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera tore an Achilles tendon while going after a fly ball at the New York Yankees‘ Old-Timers’ Day game on Saturday and needs surgery.
Agent Fern Cuza said the 55-year-old closer, baseball’s career leader in saves, will have the operation within a week.
In his lone at-bat, Rivera singled off former teammate Andy Pettitte and easily ran to first base. During an at-bat by Willie Randolph, Rivera took a step and fell to the ground in shallow center field behind second base.
The Yankees restored the Old-Timers’ Day game for the first time since 2019.
“It was a fun day until we heard about Mariano. Mariano hurt his Achilles,” seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens told WFAN broadcaster Suzyn Waldman. “I don’t know what was going on. We all thought it was a hamstring, but I think it’s a little worse than that. I think he’s at the hospital now. Unbelievable.”
Rivera was the second player to get hurt in the event since 2017. Eight years ago, former outfielder and current YES Network analyst Paul O’Neill strained a calf running to first base.
Rivera tore the ACL in his right knee in May 2012 while shagging fly balls in batting practice in Kansas City. He returned for his final season in 2013 and finished as baseball’s career saves leader with 652 and posted 42 postseason saves.
In 2019, the 13-time All-Star became the first player unanimously inducted into the Hall of Fame by getting all 425 votes in balloting conducted by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. He helped the Yankees win five World Series titles and seven American League pennants.
Rivera was playing in the Old-Timers’ game for the second time. He hit an inside-the-park homer in 2019.
The event commemorated the 25th anniversary of the 2000 championship team, the last team to win three straight World Series titles. Clemens was a first-time attendee at the event, which had captain Derek Jeter give a short video message when he was introduced following Rivera.
Before the event, Rivera said he intended to speak with struggling reliever Devin Williams, who allowed three runs in the 10th inning Friday. He has allowed nine runs in his last five appearances and 28 earned runs this year, two more than 2022-24 combined.
“Can’t do nothing about it,” Rivera said Saturday morning. “Once it’s done, it’s done. Just learn from it, move on and be confident. You have to be confident in yourself. If you’re not confident in yourself, you’re playing the wrong sport.”
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