The Los Angeles Dodgers followed up their World Series wins with one of the most exciting offseasons in MLB history. This has sent expectations through the roof, including for Dodgers spring training. There may not be three more anticipated spring training debuts than those of rookie pitcher, Roki Sasaki, top free agent addition Blake Snell, and two-way behemoth Shohei Ohtani. All are expected to get their first official appearances this week.
Manager Dave Roberts has announced that Ohtani will make his initial spring training game appearance later this week, though a specific date has yet to be determined. He is also confirmed to be in the lineup for the Tokyo Series against the Chicago Cubs, scheduled for May 18-19, with Roki Sasaki expected to start the second game of the series.
Sasaki is set to make his spring training debut on Tuesday against the Chicago White Sox in what pitching coach Mark Prior has described as a “hybrid B-game,” necessitated by the current closure of Minor League camps. Meanwhile, on the same day, Blake Snell is scheduled to start the Dodgers’ Cactus League game.
Los Angeles Dodgers Spring Training To Feature 3 Exciting Debuts
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Prior emphasized the Dodgers’ slow approach to working Sasaki into full activities.
“These first couple weeks [are] really both of us trying to get to know each other and then try[ing] to progress from there,” Prior said of Sasaki. “Get him dialed in with some things that he wants to work on.”
They have also been cautious through Ohtani’s recovery process from both elbow and shoulder surgery.
Shohei Ohtani participated in his first live batting practice of the spring on Sunday. He faced 32 pitches from Minor League right-hander Nicolas Cruz, taking 18 swings, marking his first encounter with live pitching since undergoing surgery on November 5th to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder, an injury sustained during the World Series.