Wednesday was a special day for Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
First, he was making his debut with the organization that signed him to a 10-year, $700 million contract in the offseason.
Additionally, he was playing in Asia, serving as one of the game’s true ambassadors in the Seoul Series.
His wife Mamiko was in attendance, and he was playing a familiar foe with a developing rivalry: the San Diego Padres.
On top of all that, and after being a bit behind his teammates for much of spring training while recovering from offseason elbow surgery, he made it in time for Opening Day and performed admirably.
“Shohei Ohtani’s first game as a Dodger: 2 hits, 1 RBI, 1 stolen base. Dodgers win,” the league’s official Twitter account wrote with a cool picture of the two-time MVP in a Dodgers uniform.
Shohei Ohtani’s first game as a Dodger:
2 hits
1 RBI
1 stolen base
Dodgers win pic.twitter.com/nGulwTDmit— MLB (@MLB) March 20, 2024
With his team down 2-1 heading to the eighth inning, he hit an RBI single as part of a four-run rally in that frame that gave LA the lead and, a few minutes later, the victory.
All things considered, Ohtani went 2-for-5 with a couple of singles, an RBI and a stolen base.
Stolen bases are an underrated aspect of Ohtani’s game, as he swiped 20 bags last year and accumulated 86 in six years with the Los Angeles Angels.
Still, people are expecting the game-changing power he showed last year when he knocked 44 balls out of the park.
Don’t worry: it will definitely come.
Even without it, Ohtani was able to impact the game on Wednesday in other ways.
He is baseball’s biggest superstar.
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Fans React To Dodgers’ Comeback Win To Open 2024 Season