Japanese media "Sports Hochi" delivered a special New Year's meeting between LA Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and former Japanese national team coach Hideki Kuriyama on the 5th.먹튀검증
According to the media, Roberts said, "(Otani) will play both pitching and hitting this year, but he will never let him pitch until May. As we didn't throw the ball during the last season, we will give him a planned break in 2025 to continue his pitching without difficulty."
Since his Major League debut with the Los Angeles Angels in 2018, Ohtani has been dominant in both pitching and hitting, thus winning the American League Rookie of the Year. In the same year, however, Ohtani had Tommy John surgery to link tendons in his right elbow and stopped his career as a pitcher. After returning to the mound in the second half of 2020, he became the perfect second-rate player in 2021.
In particular, he hit .257 with 46 homers, 100 RBIs, 26 steals, and an OPS of .965 as a batter in 2021, and as a pitcher, he won the AL MVP with 9 wins, 2 losses and a 3.18 ERA. Since then, he has been at the center of the Major League with consistently overwhelming performances.
However, due to the recent injury, the Los Angeles Dodgers is taking a cautious approach by adjusting Otani's pitching schedule. Former manager Kuriyama also said, "Otani is a highly motivated player who even says, 'I want to play.' Coordinating his will as a manager was the most difficult part."
Roberts said, "We will not rush Otani's return. We will take a systematic approach by cooperating with doctors and trainers to maintain his health."
The Dodgers will play the opening game of the 2025 Major League regular season against the Chicago Cubs at Tokyo Dome in March. However, according to Roberts' plan, it will be difficult for Japanese fans to see pitcher Ohtani take the mound at Tokyo Dome.