GLENDALE, Ariz. — One half of Shohei Ohtani’s two-way stardom is back in place after elbow surgery last September.
“I think we can say the hitting part of rehab is over officially,” Ohtani said after going 0 for 3 in his fourth game of the spring on Tuesday night. “Now I just need to get more at-bats, have quality at-bats, be able to see the ball and get my timing down.”
A sign that Ohtani is indeed back to 100 percent as a hitter is his schedule this week. He will play Wednesday against the Chicago White Sox. It will be his first back-to-back games since last August and will be a day game after a night game – something many front-line players avoid until late in the spring.
“Just looking at the whole schedule and the whole balance, I felt it was a good time to go back-to-back,” Ohtani said through his interpreter. “That’s another target I need to get to.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he agrees that Ohtani is no longer in “rehab mode” as a hitter. With nine games left before the Dodgers leave for South Korea, Roberts said he expects Ohtani to play in five of them.
“I think right now he’s in ‘prepare-for-the-season’ mode,” Roberts said. “Which is a good thing for all of us.”
Ohtani had reached base in seven consecutive plate appearances before striking out against Angels right-hander Chase Silseth in his first at-bat Tuesday night. He took a called third strike in his second at-bat then flew out to center field.
Ohtani has said he needs about 50 at-bats to prepare for the season-opening games in South Korea on March 20-21. Those at-bats can come in ‘B’ games and against the Dodgers’ high-tech pitching machine. In Cactus League play, he is 5 for 10 with a home run, two walks and three strikeouts.
“That was the first night game in a while,” Ohtani said. “I’m still getting used to seeing with my eyes in night games but I should be there. My last at-bat felt pretty good. I got jammed a little bit….
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