Healthy starter: Could new splitter deliver Cy Young award to Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani?
Los Angeles' busy two-way star remains eager to stay on the field and in the rotation.
Healthy starter: Could new splitter deliver Cy Young award to Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani? originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
Healthy Shohei Ohtani expects to remain busy. The Los Angeles Dodgers ' two-way standout batted leadoff and served as the starting pitcher against the Cleveland Guardians at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday night. Healthy for the first time in several offseasons, Ohtani anticipates making about 25 starts for the back-to-back World Series champions.
Featuring an effective four-season fastball and splitter, Ohtani opened the season with six scoreless innings. He allowed one hit and three walks, but struck out six on 87 pitches. He departed leading, 2-0.
Projected to play a prominent role during last month’s World Baseball Classic, Ohtani pitched in only two spring training games. His final tuneup came during the March 24 spring-training outing against the Los Angeles Angels . He struck out 11 in four innings, declaring himself regular-season ready.