Shohei Ohtani’s Crucial Batting Role Revealed, as Dodgers’ Formidable Early Lineup Emerges

The Los Angeles Dodgers are fast becoming the “epicenter” of baseball. With the rest of the league envious of their star-laden roster, the Blue Crew are currently the team to beat. But while having stars is one thing, fitting them together is a different story. With questions arising regarding the position of Shohei Ohtani on the team, the skipper has finally answered all queries. 

Ohtani’s injury has forced him out of the mound at least for a season. Although a big blow, Shotime is working to numb the pain a little by going a step ahead in his hitting. With the superstar finally training well, there’s an increasing hope that his return to the ballpark is closer than ever.

Shohei Ohtani embarks on an exciting journey 

The Dodgers’ manager, Dave Roberts, sat in Dodgers Stadium during the Dodgers Fan Fest event and interacted with fans regarding the future of the franchise. While he was “very confident” regarding the return of Shohei Ohtani, everyone’s real question was – What would be the hitting lineup of this new-age superstar Dodgers team? Roberts didn’t disappoint. As ESPN reported, the skipper revealed the first three hitters of his star-laden lineup. 

Mookie Betts would lead off, Freddie Freeman would enter second, and finally, Shohei Ohtani would come in at third. Listening to this, the fans exploded with joy and jubilation. A lineup comprising Betts, Freeman, and Ohtani? That’s the stuff that dreams are made of. 

A lineup of three MVP-worthy players is scary. But for that to happen, Ohtani will have to get back to his best shape first. Before the end of the 2023 season, Ohtani had what was similar to the usual Tommy John surgery. The superstar is still rehabbing his elbow. 

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But Ohtani decided to put some icing on the cake with a piece of positive news regarding his recovery from his injury.

Is a March 20 comeback likely for Shotime?

After a harrowing injury, Shohei Ohtani has taken things slow. As of now, the two-way phenom isn’t hitting velocity pitches. Rather, he’s recovering by taking flips with someone throwing him the baseballs in an underhanded manner. While full recovery is still far, Ohtani revealed, “Rehab’s been going really well, just as planned so far. As long as I’m ready by March 20, then I think I’ll be playing throughout the whole year.” 

On March 20 and 21, the Dodgers and San Diego Padres will travel to South Korea to start their season. With the Koreans waiting anxiously for Shotime, this statement would come in as a giant relief. It’ll be interesting to see how the three superstars will fare when playing together.

Read more: Shohei Ohtani Once Revealed His Unique Love for Dogs Through Ippei Mizuhara, Years Before Decoy’s Adorable Debut