Shohei Ohtani opened 2025 in style on Friday, hitting a home run in his first plate appearance of spring training after missing time following shoulder surgery.
Serving as the Los Angeles Dodgers’ designated hitter while leading off the bottom of the first inning, Ohtani blasted a 3-2 pitch from Los Angeles Angels left-hander Yusei Kikuchi the opposite way to left field for a solo homer.
Ohtani went 1-for-3 in the Dodgers’ 6-5 win in Phoenix. He also popped out and struck out.
Days after helping the Dodgers win the World Series last fall, Ohtani had arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. He led the National League with 54 homers and 130 RBIs last year while adding 59 stolen bases to become the first player ever to have a 50-homer, 50-steal season. He wound up capturing his third Most Valuable Player award.
The two-way star didn’t pitch in 2024 in the aftermath of Tommy John surgery, but he hopes to be back on the mound early this season.
