Ohtani ‘unlikely’ to pitch in Dodgers’ Japan series
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Alden Gonzalez, ESPN Staff Writer
DALLAS — Shohei Ohtani is expected to be ready to hit when the Los Angeles Dodgers open their season in Japan next March, but it’s “very unlikely” he will also pitch in those games, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
Given the context — coming off surgery to his non-throwing shoulder, on the heels of spending an entire year rehabbing another repair of his ulnar collateral ligament, and the fact that the Dodgers will begin their season in unconventional fashion — the thought of Ohtani pitching in his home country was long seen as unlikely.
“I just don’t see us starting the clock in March to then think that we would keep that continuously going through October,” Roberts said on Day 1 of the Winter Meetings on Monday. “Then that would call for a break or reprieve in the middle of the season.”
The Dodgers are slated for two games against the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo on March 18 and 19, then fly back to the United States and wait another week before restarting their regular season. Ohtani has been playing catch from about 60 feet, but the Dodgers are expected to move him through his throwing program methodically.
Ohtani, who recently had surgery to repair the torn labrum he sustained in his left shoulder during the World Series, has yet to start swinging a bat. But getting ready to hit in a major league game requires far less buildup.
“What we feel like is most important is that he is ready to pitch at his highest level when the games matter the most,” Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said. “Early-season games are very important, but we feel like if we can get him to a position where he is peaking towards the end of the season, that is the ideal scenario.”
Despite signing two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell to a five-year, $182 million contract, agreeing to terms on a one-year, $17 million deal with corner outfielder Michael Conforto and bringing Blake Treinen back for $22 million over two years, the reigning-champion Dodgers still have moves to make.
They still seek more back-end bullpen help, are expected to be among the most aggressive suitors for Roki Sasaki, will at some point bring back Clayton Kershaw and should stay engaged — to some degree, at least — with fan favorite Teoscar Hernandez.
One position they won’t look to fill is shortstop, which, apparently, will be handled by Mookie Betts.
“Mookie’s preparing as a shortstop,” Gomes said. “He’s ready for the challenge.”
Betts has long believed transitioning from right field to the middle infield would be easier on his body and allow him to age better into his 30s. The Dodgers began last season with Betts as their everyday second baseman, then moved him to shortstop when Gavin Lux‘s throwing issues reemerged.
Betts then sat out two months because of a broken left wrist. By the time he returned, Miguel Rojas, the best defensive shortstop on the roster, was swinging a hot bat and Lux’s second-base production had picked up. Betts went back to right field — with the expectation the team would revisit a return to the infield after the playoffs.
Betts has been training as a shortstop since the start of the offseason and the Dodgers are hoping to not move him around during the season.
Asked if it’s still possible he transitions to second base before the start of spring training, opening up the possibility for other moves, Gomes said: “Our plan right now is for Mookie to prepare as a shortstop.”
Betts at shortstop means Lux would remain the everyday second baseman — and thus not be traded — and Tommy Edman would basically be the everyday center fielder. Conforto, a left-handed hitter who produced well against left-handed pitching last season, is expected to be an everyday player. The Dodgers have Andy Pages for the other outfield corner, though it’s still possible they agree to a deal with Hernandez.
Betts, 32, won six Gold Gloves in right field. His goal is to win a seventh at shortstop — while making the type of midcareer transition that is almost unprecedented in the game’s history, especially for a Hall of Fame-caliber player. Betts practically learned shortstop on the fly last season, putting in hours of live fungoes on an almost-everyday basis in an attempt to simulate as many in-game situations as possible.
He wound up making nine errors in 73 starts at the position. Eight of them were the result of errant throws.
“If you look at all of the most challenging parts of the position, he does really well,” Gomes said. “And where he struggled was throwing. You go watch him in right field, it’s one of the best arms in the game. It’s incredibly accurate. So those things that are most challenging to teach — getting off the ball, range, making exceptional plays, his pre-pitch timing — he nailed those.
“It was really syncing up his throw from that, because he’s been so used to the outfield throw. So I think that will be the majority of his work is how does he access what is an elite arm and have that translate to the infield.”
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Jesse Rogers
CHICAGO — Los Angeles Dodgers starter Blake Snell will back off his throwing program as he continues to recover from left shoulder inflammation, according to manager Dave Roberts.
“As he was playing catch, he just didn’t feel great,” Roberts said Wednesday afternoon before the Dodgers played the Chicago Cubs. “Right now, we’re going to slow play the throwing. Will probably get it looked at again when we get back home.”
Snell, 32, has been on the injured list since early April after making just two starts for the Dodgers. He signed a five-year, $182 million contract this past offseason.
Snell, who was set to throw a bullpen session Wednesday, felt discomfort in the shoulder while playing catch Tuesday. Roberts was asked how concerning the latest setback was.
“I wouldn’t say concerning because part of the messaging from us to Blake is, it’s about later on in the season and if there’s any type of discomfort, let’s not try to fight through it,” Roberts responded.
Snell is one of several Dodgers pitchers on the mend, including left-hander Clayton Kershaw, who pitched three innings in a minor league start Tuesday, his second rehab outing this spring.
“Velocity was good,” Roberts said. “Got into the fourth inning. He’ll make a start next week. Really positive stuff.”
The Dodgers also received positive news about right-hander Tyler Glasnow after he left his last start with leg cramps. His latest bullpen session went well, according to Roberts.
Meanwhile, Shohei Ohtani is throwing again after missing time on the paternity list. He’ll have another bullpen session Saturday as he recovers from elbow surgery, though the team still doesn’t have a timetable for his return to major league action.
The team was also without catcher Will Smith on Wednesday after he injured his wrist on a play at the plate in Tuesday’s loss to the Cubs.
“As he made the tag, his [left] wrist turned in and so there’s some residual soreness,” Roberts said.
Smith could get imaging done when the team returns to Los Angeles, but Roberts wasn’t overly concerned about the injury.
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Jesse Rogers
CHICAGO — Most players are happy to be done facing the Los Angeles Dodgers, but Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong might not be one of them.
The Los Angeles native has torched his childhood team this season, including Wednesday night at Wrigley Field when he went 3-for-4 with a home run, two stolen bases and a career-high four RBIs, helping the Cubs to a 7-6 win. It came one night after Chicago beat L.A. 11-10, with Crow-Armstrong contributing another home run.
He was asked Wednesday whether his production has special meaning coming against the team he used to root for.
“Absolutely,” he said. “I mean, they are regarded as the best, and I think we’ve enjoyed being able to show that we’re right there with them, and yeah, it’s always a little extra special for me getting to do it against the team I grew up going to see.”
Crow-Armstrong erased a 2-0 Cubs deficit with an opposite-field, three-run homer in the fourth inning, then added a run-scoring single an inning later, which turned out to be the final run of the night for the Cubs.
Overall, he had four home runs and nine RBIs in the seven-game season series against the Dodgers, which the Cubs won 4-3 after losing the first two games in Japan in mid-March. But that was before the Cubs’ offense took off. They’re averaging an MLB-high 6.3 runs per game.
Crow-Armstrong’s season took off as well, starting over a week ago when the teams met in Los Angeles. In the 10 games since, the 23-year-old is hitting .400 with five home runs.
“He needs to send me a bottle of wine or some golf balls with all the success he’s had,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts quipped before Wednesday’s game.
Roberts and Crow-Armstrong exchanged pleasantries before the first game of the series, as the second-year player is friends with Roberts’ son, Cole. The two played against each other growing up.
“I got a couple different connections to Doc,” Crow-Armstrong said. “He’s so great.”
That’s the same word Crow-Armstrong’s teammates are using about him as he continues to impress both at the plate and in the field. According to ESPN Research, he’s the fastest player in Cubs history to reach five home runs and 10 stolen bases, doing it in 26 games.
Plus, his pitchers love seeing him patrol center field.
“Defensively, I got to say he’s probably the best,” Wednesday’s starter, Matthew Boyd, said. “And what he’s doing at the plate is no surprise.”
Crow-Armstrong showed signs of breaking out late last year but then struggled early this season before locking in during the Cubs’ most recent road trip. He said he got “on-time” with his swing while learning how to deal with failure better. He was asked how satisfied he is with his game right now.
“If it comes out in a win, it’s very satisfactory,” he said. “It makes me feel very content. I love being able to impact it in any way I can.”
So does his manager, who called Wednesday a “wonderful game” for Crow-Armstrong.
“He made his presence felt in a big way for sure,” Craig Counsell said.
Crow-Armstrong is quickly becoming a fan favorite, as the Cubs faithful are taking to his aggressive style of play. He was asked what it’s like to hear his name chanted when he comes to the plate after producing in previous at-bats.
“I’ve tried to tune that out,” he said with a laugh. “I was actually thinking about it yesterday and I was like, I got to be 0-for-20 when they’ve chanted my name. But they continue to chant and they get behind every one of us and it’s the coolest thing.”
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