The expectation since Shohei Ohtani joined the Los Angeles Dodgers is really enormous, and although the Japanese player has not disappointed anyone in the batter’s box, he has fallen short in another area, which was included in the package when he was acquired for a million-dollar figure, the famous two-way quality, which he has been showing off since his days in baseball in his country.
The problem with Ohtani is that the pressure has not served to accelerate what everyone expects in his team and in general in the Major Leagues, and that has not been seen since the days of Babe Ruth, that a slugger also shoots burning balls from the mound. And while everyone goes crazy waiting, Ohtani and his entourage take it very calmly, as well as the Dodgers, who are wise and knowledgeable about the situation of their player, do not want to put at risk their million-dollar investment.
Despite the ‘knife’ Ohtani has not lost ‘power’
Ohtani, as the baseball world knows, first underwent Tommy John surgery in 2018, and then another one, performed in September 2023, on his right elbow, just two months before making what was then the most lucrative sports contract in history a reality (10 years and $700 million), the same deal that was surpassed by the one signed a year later by Dominican Juan Soto with the Mets when he jumped from borough to borough, from The Bronx to Queens for 15 years and $765 million.
The Japanese player’s surgeries have not prevented him from focusing on his responsibility as a true power hitter for the World Series champion team, even with another arthroscopic surgery that repaired a torn labrum in his left shoulder in November 2024. However, they have limited his pitching ability, so the Dodgers are going at the same pace as him.
Shohei Ohtani is doing what he should
Ohtani has more than delivered, achieving his first 50-home run, 50-steal season, and extending that this season in just 48 games in which he already has 17 home runs and 31 RBIs. But another component of this picture is the fans, and from there comes the urgency to be able to see the Japanese pitcher at some point this season, something that remains a possibility, given his bullpen practices where he already maintains a velocity of between 94 and 95 mph on his fastballs.
Reports from specialized media indicate that the moment of truth for the spectacular Japanese player could come after the All-Star Game
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