Well, that didn’t take long.
Shohei Ohtani homered during his first Cactus League game with the Dodgers, showing off the power that earned him the 2023 American League MVP.
The $700 million star did get off to a slow start against the White Sox at Camelback Ranch in Arizona, striking out looking in his first at-bat in the bottom of the first.
After hitting into a 4-6-3 double play in the third inning, the 29-year-old got another opportunity at the plate in the fifth and did not miss.
Ohtani worked the count full against ex-Mets reliever Dominic Leone before driving a middle-away pitch into left field, clearing the wall for his first roundtripper — a two-run shot — in Dodgers blue.
Los Angeles fans gave him a standing ovation as he circled the bases, and he carried an ear-to-ear smile as he stepped on home plate and gave first baseman Freddie Freeman a high-five.
The long ball from the Japanese superstar mirrored the homer he blasted during his first live batting practice on Feb. 19 against Dodgers teammate J.P. Feyereisen.
“When he hit it, I’m like, oh, he’s Shohei, so he’s got power,” Feyereisen told reporters then. “Then I turned around, I’m like, well, there’s another one. So it was good. It was fun to see. And obviously he looks like he’s ready to go.”
Ohtani is making quite the first impression after his whirlwind offseason that culminated in a 10-year megadeal — with many deferments included — with the Dodgers.
He won’t pitch this season after undergoing elbow surgery last fall, but his bat — which produced an AL-best 44 homers in 2023 — should help solidify a Dodgers lineup that includes previous MVP winners in Freeman and Mookie Betts.
Manager Dave Roberts told reporters this week that he hopes Ohtani is fully ready to go by the time the Dodgers open up their season in South Korea against the Padres on March 20.
“Most importantly is his health,” Roberts said, according to the Associated Press. “So if it lines up, great. And if it doesn’t, then we’ll still move on from there.”