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At long last, three-time MVP Shohei Ohtani will finally make his 2025 Cactus League debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers this Friday – and he'll be facing his former team, the Los Angeles Angels.
Coincidence? Maybe. But probably not.
Yes, Ohtani has ben slowly building up to full strength after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery, so the fact that he hasn't yet appeared in a Cactus League game isn't entirely surprising. But the Dodgers scheduling his spring debut to come against the team with whom he spent the first six years of his Major League career is peak pettiness from the reigning World Series champs. And we love it.
Dodgers clearly rubbing salt in Angels' wounds with Shohei Ohtani debut announcement
Ohtani will DH in his first game of spring training less than four months after undergoing a procedure to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder, an injury he suffered sliding into second base during Game 2 of the World Series. He faced live pitching for the first time since his surgery earlier this week, and he remains on track to DH on Opening Day in Tokyo on March 18.
Playing exclusively as a DH in his first season with the Dodgers, Ohtani smacked 54 home runs and stole 59 bases last year en route to becoming the first-ever member of the Major League 50/50 club and winning his third unanimous MVP award and his first World Series ring.
Baseball is back and so is the creator of the 50/50 Club … Shohei Ohtani! pic.twitter.com/MD4itPY8rk
— MLB (@MLB) February 20, 2025
The two-way star is also still working his way back from Tommy John surgery, which he underwent in September 2023, and he likely won't make his pitching debut for the Dodgers until sometime in May. He has already thrown multiple bullpen sessions this spring.
Ohtani hasn't pitched in a Major League game since 2023, when he was a member of the Angels. As a pitcher, he is 38-19 with a 3.01 career ERA, including a 10-5 record and 3.14 ERA in 2023 before he was injured that August.
Ohtani's 2025 Catcus League debut will be nationally televised Friday at 5:05 p.m. PT on MLB Network.
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