Shohei Ohtani Dodger's first appearance on the board caused a sensation, and the actual combat training and competition started with double happiness

The Dodgers-Mets series finale on Sunday was scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m., but four hours before the game, a high-profile prologue was played at Citi Field, where Shohei Ohtani faced a real fighter for the first time since undergoing ulnar collateral ligament repair on his right elbow in September 2023. After making 22 pitches in five simulated sets, the second-time superstar hit his 18th home run of the season (tied for the top spot in the major leagues) in the opening seat of the main season, setting the New York night sky on fire with a flawless performance.

Dressed in a Dodge jersey, Ohtani mainly throws fastballs (average speed 94-95mph, top speed 97mph), cutting balls, and stretching balls, supplemented by lateral slides and knuckle balls. Catcher Dalton Rushing became the first matchmaker: "The whole locker room was watching, and that's the moment that the baseball world is watching the most. The training was full of fun: When tactics coach JT Watkins, a veteran who hasn't played professionally since 2016, celebrated with an exaggerated bat-tock, causing Ohtani to laugh when he was selected for the next hitter.

After the training session was still in full swing, Ohtani faced Kodai Senga's second slider in the official match and sent it to the right field stand. "Accustomed to his heroic appearance as a hitter, it's exhilarating to see the concentration on the pitcher's mound again," Dodgers head Dave Roberts lamented. The hit tied with Judge and Schwaber for the top spot on the home run list.

Pitcher coach Mark Prior was pleased with the results: "The ball speed, movement and endurance were up to expectations, and the most important thing was that he showed fitness. Current plans suggest that Ohtani could practice again next weekend and not return as a pitcher before the All-Star break. Roberts envisioned: "If he recovers as planned, he will be a top starter at the Celerian level." "

In the simulation, Ohtani's interaction with Korean player Hyeseong Kim was the highlight: first killing the infield with an agile glove and then smiling and discussing the defensive position with outfielder Teoscar Hernández when he was knocked out of the right field second run. This state of ease makes Dodge management full of expectations for "complete body Otani".

From Tokyo to Los Angeles, from ligament surgery to double-line resuscitation, Shohei Ohtani is writing a new chapter in his career. When the scoreboard at Citi Field showed the number "18 hits," baseball fans around the world were witnessing history: the myth that ruled both the pitcher's mound and the strike zone was about to come back to life.