Cold weather? Rain? A lineup with limited late-game support?
For Shohei Ohtani, none of it mattered on Tuesday.
All spring long, Ohtani and the Dodgers had been eagerly anticipating this moment—when the two-way star would officially resume full-time duties on the mound, nearly two years after undergoing his second Tommy John surgery.
In a 4-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians, the four-time MVP showcased his skills, pitching six scoreless innings and allowing just one hit. This performance provided a promising start to what the Dodgers hope will be their best season yet.
Last year, the Dodgers (4-1) didn’t witness this version of Ohtani, even though he returned to pitching mid-season.
Back then, he was still in the recovery phase. His pitching arsenal was often limited to just a couple of pitches. He struck out 62 batters over 47 innings and finished with an ERA of 2.87, but he didn’t complete six innings in a game until his final regular-season outing.
This year, he started strong right from the beginning.
Even though he only appeared in two games during spring training due to World Baseball Classic commitments, Ohtani continued to shine. He struck out the first seven batters he faced and held the Guardians hitless until the fourth inning.
Mixing up six different pitches, he kept the Guardians (3-3) on their toes, recording two strikeouts each with his sweeper, splitter, and curveball—the latter being thrown 21 times, the second-highest of his career.
And despite the drizzle and a wet playing surface, he drew two walks and hit a single as the Dodgers’ leadoff batter.
By the time he took the mound, he was already generating Cy Young buzz that had been building throughout spring training.
What it means
Each time Ohtani pitches, it could pose challenges for the Dodgers’ opponents.
How frequently he’ll pitch remains uncertain. Ohtani will be a regular in the starting rotation, but the Dodgers also plan to manage his workload, which may prevent him from exceeding 25 starts or more than 140 to 150 innings.
Of course, the Dodgers could push Ohtani harder, possibly enhancing his Cy Young chances by allowing a more conventional starter’s workload.
Yet, they’re prioritizing long-term performance for the 31-year-old this year, keeping an eye on his overall workload and focusing on late-season appearances.
“First and foremost, he proved he’s focused on the team,” manager Dave Roberts mentioned before the game. “But, of course, he has some personal goals, which is a good thing.”
Who is hot
Many of the Dodgers’ key hitters haven’t fully hit their stride yet. Max Muncy, however, stood out.
The seasoned slugger reached base as usual and collected his fourth walk of the season in his first at-bat on Tuesday. He then came through with a pivotal hit in the sixth inning, doubling the lead in a lefty-lefty matchup against Guardians reliever Colby Allard.
He appeared again in the eighth inning, adding a single during a two-run rally that closed out the game.
Thus far, Muncy boasts a batting average of .364 (4 hits in 11 at-bats) and has reached safely in 8 of 15 at-bats.
Who is not?
Well, on Tuesday, it was certainly the newly named Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium. I ended up getting quite wet in the light rain.
Showers were expected, prompting the grounds staff to pull out some rarely-used tarps earlier that day.
While the cover wasn’t ultimately needed, they continued making repairs to the field, especially at the end of Ohtani’s outing when Roberts requested fresh dirt after a four-pitch walk.
After a short delay and cleaning off his cleats, Ohtani returned to strike out Rhys Hoskins, concluding his impressive night on the mound.
To the next
The Dodgers will be back on the field Wednesday, aiming to win two out of three against the Guardians with an early start at 5:10 p.m. Yoshinobu Yamamoto will take the mound against right-hander Gavin Williams.
