Shohei Ohtani continues to rehab from elbow surgical procedure in an try and return to the pitcher’s mound with that possible taking place in some unspecified time in the future in Could. In the meantime, he additionally had surgical procedure on his non-throwing shoulder within the offseason after injuring it throughout the World Collection. 

The three-time MVP has proven a aptitude for the dramatic all through his profession, so anybody shocked at him hitting a house run in his first spring coaching at-bat following shoulder surgical procedure should’ve been asleep for years. Right here it’s, a pleasant opposite-field shot on a 3-2 rely: 

That was not Ohtani’s first swing of the spring, as he whiffed on a curve from Yusei Kikuchi earlier within the at-bat. Nonetheless, as he so usually does, Ohtani ended up on prime. 

Bear in mind, final 12 months he hit a house run in his first spring at-bat, too. 

His exploits aren’t relegated to meaningless video games, in fact. He now has a World Collection ring along with these three MVPs. Final 12 months, he hit .310/.390/.646 (190 OPS+) with 38 doubles, seven triples, 54 residence runs, 130 RBI, 134 runs, 59 steals and 9.2 WAR as a full-time designated hitter. 

The one questions on Ohtani heading into the season had been how he’d come again from the shoulder surgical procedure and when he’d have the ability to return to the mound within the common season. It already appears like all shoulder questions might be put to mattress.