Shohei Ohtani took visiting fans on a thrilling ride Tuesday by hitting a homer during his Cactus League debut in Arizona.
After hitting on and off during his previous at-bat career, the designated hitter hit a two-run home run to help the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the White Sox 9-6.
“It’s awesome,” head coach Dave Roberts said after the game. “There have been a lot of big moments for him in his career. He always seems to rise to those moments. I have a good feeling there are more to come.”
Through a translator, Ohtani talked about his Cactus League debut and how it felt to help the Dodgers win in Phoenix.
“It was definitely a big first step,” he added. The most important thing is that I was able to finish the game without any problems… I definitely felt good at the plate. I felt better every time I got up…we are moving in the right direction.
The Japanese star, who has a 10-year, $700 million deal with the Dodgers, will not pitch next season while he recovers from Tommy John surgery. Instead, he brought his 44-homer bat to the Dodgers’ power-packed lineup as a designated hitter.