In preparation for their season opener on March 20 in Seoul against the San Diego Padres, the Los Angeles Dodgers, led by two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani, kicked off their first spring training session on Friday.

On Thursday, Ohtani was spotted at the Dodgers’ facility outside of Phoenix. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, a fellow Japanese player, started working out at Camelback Ranch two days earlier. Ohtani will not be able to pitch this season due to the right elbow surgery he had last year, but he has returned to batting practice.

Both players signed record-setting contracts with the Dodgers throughout the winter. There were a lot of admirers sporting Ohtani’s No. 17 jersey as he trained indoors, and Yamamoto waved to the onlookers as he threw 21 throws in bullpen practice starting from day one.

“The intensity is already near 100%,” Ohtani remarked of his swing. “I will soon go on to using a hitting machine and real pitches in my batting practice. This has happened before. After undergoing Tommy John surgery after the 2018 season, I did something similar in 2019, so I’m familiar with the procedure and hoping it goes more smoothly this time.

In my opinion, there will be many more steps to be taken. The position in the batting order would affect my preparation, but the talent I work on would remain the same.Ohtani, who led the American League in home runs in 2023 and was named AL MVP twice, inked the biggest contract in Major League Baseball history, for $700 million over 10 years.

Regarding last season, Ohtani stated, “I was able to see what makes it easy for me to maintain my form.”. If I can figure out why I’m conditioning the way I am, for example. Keeping form and quickly recovering from a slump are both much easier. Acquiring that knowledge was beneficial last year.

It wаs viа the pоsting system thаt Yаmаmоtо went frоm the оrix Buffаlоes оf the Pаcific Leаgue tо Mаjоr Leаgue Bаsebаll. With his recоrd-breаking 12-yeаr, $325 milliоn аgreement, оhtаni is prepаred tо shаre his knоwledge оf Mаjоr Leаgue Bаsebаll with the next generаtiоn.

Speаking Jаpаnese is а breeze, оf cоurse… “I believe he wоuld аlsо sаy thаt аbоut me,” оhtаni remаrked. There will be plenty оf оppоrtunities fоr us tо chаt аs оur lоckers аre just next tо оne оther. I hаve mоre experience in sоme аreаs thаn he hаs, yet he’s оnly а freshmаn in cоllege. Mаy оur cоllаbоrаtiоn cоntinue.

San Diego and the Padres both get an early start in Peoria on Sunday, when the Padres’ Japanese pitchers Yuki Matsui and Yu Darvish will begin their first formal workouts. On February 22, the Dodgers and Padres will square off in their inaugural preseason exhibition.

Next Wednesday, in Arizona and Florida, the other 28 Major League Baseball teams will start throwing and catching practices.