Baseball

Post-Surgery Shohei Ohtani May Be Ready to Play MLB Opener in S. Korea

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Shohei Ohtani speaks to the press at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday.

Tomoaki Obitsu / Yomiuri Shimbun correspondent

14:11 JST, February 4, 2024

Shohei Ohtani, who joined the Los Angeles Dodgers, said Saturday that he is eager to play in the season opener against the San Diego Padres in Seoul on March 20. Speaking about his rehabilitation from surgery on his right elbow, he said, “If things continue to go smoothly and I keep this schedule, I think I will be able to make it.”

Ohtani answered questions from the press at a fan event at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

Regarding the current status of his right elbow after a September surgery last year, Ohtani said, “In batting, my swing power is almost 100%. I have no restrictions in that motion.”

About 35,000 tickets were sold out for Saturday’s fan event. Many fans wore No. 17 uniforms with the name “Ohtani” on them, reflecting the high attention he draws. Ohtani, who took part in a talk show on a stage specially set up on the baseball field, received a big cheer when he said, “I really only aim to win the World Series, so it would be great if we could play the whole season together.”