Dodgers News: Shohei Ohtani Hints at Disobeying Dave Roberts and Coaches’ Advice to Participate In 2024 Homerun Derby

Shohei Ohtani, after a thumping win over the White Sox, is keen to play the Home Run Derby. Recovering from his second Tommy John Surgery, he has been riding on top form. Against the Chicago White Sox, he scored his 10th consecutive win with a single RBI. Ultimately, the Dodgers won comfortably 4-0, a win that humiliated the Chicago team. 

Of course, if Ohtani can attend the 2024 summer Derby on July 15, he could be among the top contenders. Before, he participated in the event back in 2021, an outing that wasn’t memorable for him. Even if Ohtani has shown interest this time, things are not in his favor. The Home Derby event, unlike traditional MLB, is a hard sport. Smashing as many home runs within a span of five minutes will take some doing. Still, Shohei Ohtani had his opinions on the Home Run Derby, followed by Dave Roberts’s opposing statements. 

Shohei Ohtani on joining the Home Run Derby & Dave Roberts’ reply

Although Ohtani is willing to play at the Home Run Derby, ultimately, it will be the management’s decision. Still, expressing his views after the game, he said, “Hasn’t really changed much since yesterday. It’s something I have to talk to a lot of people about and make a decision.”  Even earlier, after the Angels game-winning (4-3), Ohtani had the same stand. He expressed his interest in the event but wanted to speak with the team about this possibility. 

Currently, Shohei Ohtani is still not 100% fit as he is still recovering from Tommy John Surgery. On the other hand, amidst Ohtani’s participation in the Home Derby event, Dave Roberts made a clear stand, saying, “The one side of it, for him to be in the Home Run Derby, it’s great for baseball, clearly,”  Right from launching his ‘Ohtani 1’ shoes or just being present on the field, fan’s would love to see Ohtani at the event. 

Also, showing the dark side of him participating in Home Run Derby, Roberts further added, “The other side of it, on the manager of the Dodgers side of it, you’re trying to be more cautious and appreciating the fact that there’s a lot more swings, higher intensity, you know, going through the rehab process with his elbow.” Usually, in Home Run Derby games, players get 10 swings. Seeing the current state of Ohtani, especially after an elbow injury, it could be disastrous for him. Furthermore, there have been instances where players felt a decline in power-hitting after Derby participation.

However, after an analysis, conclusions highlighted that participation in Derby doesn’t impact their batting or throwing skills. Eventually, explaining his feelings for Ohtani he concluded, “But for me, personally, it’s just defaulting to the player and supporting Shohei in whatever he chooses.” Dave Roberts is not the manager who will force his players, and ultimately, it will be Shohei Ohtani’s chance to participate. Hopefully, this time to turn his bitter Home Derby 2021 memories into a memorable one. 

A glance at Ohtani’s upset Home Derby 2021 Tour

The 2021 Home Derby event proved to be a nightmare for Shohei Ohtani. It was a bracket match that took place at the Coors Field. Against a fierce competitor, Juan Soto, Ohtani knew he had to bring his ‘A’ game.  Altogether, Shohei Ohtani needed a massive finish to tie with Soto’s 22 home runs to win the game. After the one-minute tiebreaker, Soto and Ohtani made five runs each, forcing the second tie-breaker where Soto made 3 off 3 home runs against Ohtani.

From Ohtani’s end, his first swing hit a grounded ball, and that was it. It was Juan Soto’s game, as Ohtani was eliminated despite scoring 28 home runs. Soto, on the other hand, smashed 31 with a 520-foot blast, launching the ball out of the park. However, although Ohtani was eliminated, he still did justice to his caliber. In Round 1, he struck six 500-foot homers. More to it, he smashed home ruins that went 513,507,503,505,500 and 500 feet away. 

Seeing his past Home Derby performance, Ohtani still gave a despite losing to Juan Soto. However, this Shohei Ohtani is not the same fit guy; he’s still recovering from his elbow injury. And with Yamamoto unavailable, Dodger’s pitching lies on Ohtani’s shoulders. Given the situation, Dave Roberts has now made his stance clear. So, as a Dodger fan, would you let Ohtani risk his fitness for Home Derby? Let us know in the comments.