Shohei Ohtani took visiting fans on a thrill ride Tuesday by hitting a homer during his Cactus League debut in Arizona.
After striking out and grounding out during his previous at bats, the designated hitter clobbered a two-run home run to help the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the White Sox 9-6.
“It’s remarkable,” manager Dave Roberts said after the game. “There’s been so many huge moments for him in his career. And he always seems to rise to those moments. I have a good feeling there is more to come.”
Through a translator, Ohtani reflected on his Cactus League debut and how it felt helping the Dodgers triumph in Phoenix.
“It was definitely a big first step,” he said. The biggest thing was I was able to finish off the game without any problems … I definitely felt good at the plate. It felt better each time I got up … we’re trending in the right direction.”
The Japanese superstar, who struck a deal for 10 years and $700 million with Dodgers, will not pitch this coming season as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. Instead, he brings his 44-homers bat to a power-packed Dodgers lineup as the designated hitter.
