Shohei Ohtani of the Major League Baseball Angels started in the game on the 3rd, the day before the starting pitcher, and made a hit with the second designated hitter, and also decided the first stolen base.
Otani hit his first hit home run this season in the previous day's game, and on the 3rd, he started in the White Sox game in Anaheim, California, as the second and designated hitter for three consecutive games since the opening.
Otani is scheduled to pitch for the first time this season as a pitcher on the 4th, and will be the first to start as a batter the day before the pitching in the major league baseball and professional baseball / Nippon-Ham era.
Otani struck out in the first at bat in the first inning and struck out in the second at bat in the third inning, but repelled a fastball of 150km in the third at bat in the fifth inning and made a second hit to Wright this season. I struck out.
After this, I decided to steal the first base of the season to the second base and expanded my chances, but it did not lead to a goal.
In the 7th inning, the 4th at bat was a strikeout, and this game was 4 at bats, 1 hit, and 1 stolen base.
The Angels turned around in the final stages and won 5-3.
Otani will start as a pitcher for the first time this season on the 4th, and will be in the batting order for the first time as a batter in the official game of the major leagues.
Motivation to fight through the season with the dual wield of Otani
Shohei Ohtani of the Angels is in his fourth year of the Major League Baseball, and he will be playing for the first time this season on the 4th, with a way to greatly overturn the dual wield routine from the open game.
Otani started in the game on the 3rd, the day before his first pitch, as a second-designated hitter, with one hit in four at bats.
For Otani, who has been adjusting and resting before and after the pitching day since the days of professional baseball and Nippon-Ham, this is a very different usage.
Otani aimed to revive the dual wield style of pitching last season, but he hurt the muscle near his right elbow, which was operated three years ago, and as a pitcher, he only pitched in two games and spent most of the season as a batter.
The full-scale dual wield revival will be the first since 2018, when he was a rookie.
Regarding this, Otani said at a press conference before the game on the 3rd, "I'm very disappointed because I haven't been able to play an active part in the last few years due to injuries. I didn't throw it in the second half, so feelings of regret are my motivation. "
On top of that, regarding the dual wield, which is synonymous with himself, "It's fun to do. I feel like I'm missing when I'm not doing either, and that's what I've been doing for the last couple of years. I want to do my best, "he said, showing his willingness to fight through the season with dual wield.
Director Maddon, who has been in command of the Angels for the second year, emphasized that "it depends on Otani. What he wants to do" about the usage, and he decided to decide while looking at Otani's condition without being bound by precedent. is showing.
Looking ahead to the long season, Otani also revealed that he is changing the adjustment method, saying, "I try not to swing the bat as much as possible now and finish the practice of the day as efficiently as possible."
On top of that, "I've been told by the manager that I'm practicing too much. Is it efficient to shake hundreds of books every day in 162 games of the season? I have to think about what is best for me, "he said, showing his intention to devise daily practice to fight the season with dual wield.
Since both throwing and hitting have a high level of power, the biggest theme is whether you can continue to participate in dual wield without injury.
If Otani, who said, "If you manage the numbers, you will understand", will be able to play many games with dual wield, it will be a great help for the team aiming to advance to the playoffs for the first time in seven years.