GLENDALE, Ariz. – Yoshinobu Yamamoto let unfastened just a few fastballs and a few nasty breaking balls throughout a bullpen session whereas supervisor Dave Roberts and pitching coach Mark Prior stood just a few steps to every facet of the pitcher, smiling because the ball popped into the mitt of catcher Will Smith.
The Los Angeles Dodgers had been in a fairly good temper as spring coaching started at Camelback Ranch.
The defending World Collection champions went by a light-weight exercise on Tuesday and most of their stars had been on the sector, together with NL MVP Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts. Left-hander Clayton Kershaw performed catch, an indication that the three-time Cy Younger Award winner is returning for his 18th season.
“Everybody’s extra hungry than ever,” third baseman Max Muncy mentioned.
Muncy mentioned he is been in Arizona for the previous 1 1/2 weeks, coming to the Dodgers facility early to get in defensive work with Betts and Miguel Rojas. It has been a brief offseason: The Dodgers hoisted the World Collection trophy barely three months in the past after beating the New York Yankees in 5 video games.
Betts mentioned the short turnaround presents challenges, however they’re good issues to have.
“It is positively robust, however we did not win final 12 months as a result of we had been speaking in regards to the World Collection day by day,” Betts mentioned. “We gained final 12 months as a result of we talked in regards to the process at hand day by day.
“We’ve got an finish purpose, after all, however it’s important to take stepping stones to get there. We’ll get there after we get there.”
Los Angeles opens towards the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo on March 18-19 and is making an attempt to develop into the primary group to win back-to-back World Collection for the reason that New York Yankees gained three in a row from 1998-2000. The Dodgers’ house owners spent to signal two-time All-Star Blake Snell, Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki and relievers Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates.
“Expertise will take you to a sure place,” Rojas mentioned. “However then the character will make you win championships. We realized that final 12 months.”
Ohtani did not pitch final 12 months following elbow surgical procedure and is recovering from {a partially} torn labrum in his left (non-throwing) shoulder, an harm sustained whereas sliding into second base throughout the World Collection.
Even with out pitching, Ohtani gained MVP final season after turning into the primary MLB participant to hit 50 homers and have 50 stolen bases in the identical season. Now he’ll attempt to return to the mound, the place he was 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA in 2023 with the Los Angeles Angels.
Roberts mentioned on the group’s fan fest on Feb. 2 {that a} Could return to the mound is “about proper.” The supervisor additionally mentioned Ohtani’s restoration from the offseason shoulder surgical procedure was encouraging.
“He seems to be actually sturdy,” Roberts mentioned. “I noticed some movies lately and also you simply wouldn’t assume that there was any shoulder surgical procedure this previous winter.”
Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred mentioned final week that some followers had been involved in regards to the sport’s lack of a wage cap, largely due to the large spending of groups just like the Dodgers and New York Mets.
Muncy says the group welcomes the eye — constructive or detrimental.
“It is simply the character of Dodger Stadium, our followers, the scene,” Muncy mentioned. “We go on the street, our followers journey so properly that we’re promoting out each stadium we go to and that was even earlier than the final couple years.”
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