“I’m Excited”: Dave Roberts pumped as Shohei Ohtani faces live pitching and hits well amidst injury concerns

TOI Sports Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Feb 24, 2025, 23:28 IST

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Shohei Ohtani makes an impressive return to live pitching during the Dodgers' Spring Training after elbow surgery in 2023. Manager Dave Roberts expresses optimism about Ohtani's performance, hinting at his potential significant impact as a designated hitter for the upcoming season.

“I’m Excited”: Dave Roberts Pumped as Shohei Ohtani Faces Live Pitching and Hits Well Amidst Injury Concerns (Image Source: Dodge Nations/Youtube)

Shohei Ohtani is making headlines again, and this time, it’s all for the right reasons. After months of injury recovery and rehab, the two-way sensation stepped up to face live pitching at the Los Angeles Dodgers' Spring Training. His performance? Good enough for manager Dave Roberts to be encouraged about Ohtani’s development.

Shohei Ohtani takes a big step forward in spring training

And the baseball universe has been waiting to see how Shohei Ohtani would react after having elbow surgery last year — a procedure that sided him for 2024. But his ability to step into the batter’s box and make solid contact is an encouraging sign for Dodgers fans.
After Shohei Ohtani’s session, Dave Roberts was unable to contain his excitement.

“Shohei looked good," Roberts said. "He got a lot of swings off. He said he felt good afterward. He hit a couple of balls hard, which is good to see. I’m excited that he got to face some pitchers. We are still on track for [the] end of next week that he will be in a game DHing."

Dodgers Dave Roberts discusses Shohei Ohtani Live BP at-bats, how Dustin May looked and more

This update is a huge confidence booster for the Dodgers, who invested a record-breaking $700 million in Ohtani this offseason. The team is banking on his bat to provide a significant impact, even if his pitching duties are on hold for the year.

A promising outlook for Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers

The plan is simple: ease Shohei Ohtani back into competitive action, and make sure he’s fully ready once the season arrives. If everything goes according to plan, fans could start seeing the designated hitter making game appearances during Spring Training as early as next week.
This is precisely the type of news Dodger fans wanted to see. Given what he is recovering from, in any hitting frame of reference, Shohei Ohtani's elite contact ability suggests he might still be one of the league’s game-changers in 2024, too. With great anticipation, the next part of his path back to full fitness will be closely watched.
One thing is for sure—Shohei Ohtani is on the right track, and his manager couldn’t be happier about it.
Also Read : Dodgers manager Dave Roberts addresses Bobby Miller head injury during Spring Training vs Cubs

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TOI Sports Desk

The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide. From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more. The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics. We track news wires for key stories, conduct exclusive player interviews in both text and video formats, and file content from print editions and reporters. We keep track of all viral stories, trending topics and produce our own copies on the subjects. We deliver accurate, engaging, and up-to-the-minute sports content, round the clock.

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