Shohei Ohtani excited baseball fans in Arizona on Monday afternoon.
The Dodgers’ new superstar hit his first home run with his new team during live batting practice at the team’s Glendale spring training facility.
It was the first time Ohtani faced a live Dodgers pitcher since undergoing reconstructive elbow surgery.
Ohtani was facing Dodgers relief pitcher JP Feyereisen when he sent a fastball over the right-field fence. According to ESPN.
“When he hits, I think, oh, he’s Shohei, that’s why he has power,” Feyereisen told reporters. “Then I turned around and I was like, oh, there’s another one. So that was good. It was fun to watch. And obviously he looks like he’s ready.
“I understand he has so many fans. He’s 700 million. [dollars]. But he’s also our teammate. … Once he steps in the box, you just have to go and attack him, and obviously he attacked me. ”
Ohtani, one of the biggest names in sports who will be joining the Dodgers from the Angels this winter after a season in which he won AL MVP, also played against Ryan Brazier and Blake Treinen.
He signed a historic $700 million, 10-year contract with the Dodgers, who had an extensive offseason and also added Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Otani underwent surgery in September and will not pitch this season, but is expected to be able to hit.
Ohtani will not play in the Dodgers’ spring training opener against the Padres on Thursday.
“He’s probably much more advanced than any of us not named Shohei expected.” Dodgers captain Dave Roberts said Saturday. “He has worked really hard and is ahead of schedule.”
Los Angeles hopes he’ll be ready to hit in time for the season opener against the Padres in Seoul.
