Dodgers Interview: Ohtani talks “normal” offseason, WBC preparation
LOS ANGELES — It’s hard to believe it’s already been two weeks since we caught up with all the Dodgers at DodgerFest on January 31st. And now, with the Opening of Spring Training, we offer up the last of our chats with the players. This time with the one and only Shohei Ohtani.
At DodgerFest, he didn’t describe anything dramatic in his winter, and that was thankfully the point. With no surgery to rehab this time, he talked about having a more normal runway into camp, even with the World Baseball Classic hovering on the calendar. A lot of his answers came back to the same thing: keep the body in a good place, keep the work moving forward, and keep talking with the team as decisions get closer.
“Winning, and then having the offseason after that, it was wonderful,” Ohtani said. “But in terms of my routine, it didn’t really change. I spent it like a normal offseason, the same as always. There wasn’t surgery, so I felt like I could take it a little slower and do it the right way.”
On what it means to come into spring feeling healthy, he kept it straightforward. “Right now I’m coming in healthy,” he said. “So I think things will progress smoothly.” He did add that the WBC changes the calendar a bit. “Because the WBC is there, I think the preparation might start a little earlier,” Ohtani said, describing it more as a timing adjustment than anything else.
When he was asked about pitching in the WBC, even though the decision had already been made for him not to pitch, and he dangled a little hope in front of fans. “I don’t know that I’ll pitch in the WBC,” Ohtani said. “I think everyone wants to adjust all the way to the end and decide based on how their body feels. But it’s decided that I will participate, so as a position player I want to prepare for it first.”
He also talked about that familiar “season is coming” feeling, and it came from something as basic as the parking lot. “I’ve been coming to the ballpark here and there,” Ohtani said, “but it’s been a while since I saw the scene of cars filling the parking lot again. That’s when it really hits you, like, the season is starting. It makes you excited.”
Ohtani was asked about the arc of his velocity and how it dipped early and then ticked back up later, and he returned to what he’s said before: the feel was better the second time around. “I’ve said it many times,” he said, “but in terms of feel, the first time and the second time were better. I felt like I could throw with confidence.” He credited both the work and the way the rehab progressed. “That was the result of training,” Ohtani said, “and also because after going through the first time, the second rehab went smoothly.”
The questions also went toward roster-building and the organization’s ability to add star talent, and Ohtani answered that from the perspective he always seems most comfortable with: commitment to winning, and then getting back to his job. “My contract is my contract,” he said. “At the time, we talked about committing to winning and putting everything into that. Mark, the owner, and the front office, we had those conversations.” He said he feels the direction has been steady. “I think we’re definitely moving forward every year toward that,” Ohtani said, “so for Japan, it was a very good offseason.”
On the WBC itself, he spoke like someone who treats it as a real goal, not just a side story. “I think it was a wonderful tournament last time,” Ohtani said, “and as a player I hope it becomes an even better tournament than before.” He made his personal target clear. “As Team Japan, we haven’t won the championship yet,” he said, “so I want to aim for that and work hard again.”
When asked what he thinks about a club that can continually sign and care for high-level players, Ohtani didn’t pretend to be an executive. “I’m not a businessperson,” he said. “I’m not running things. As a player, I just play every day.” Still, he gave the front office credit from a distance. “I think it means they’re doing great management,” Ohtani said.
In Japanese press questions, he gave a more specific update on his pitching build-up. “I’ve gone into the bullpen three or four times,” Ohtani said. “I’m not raising the velocity to the maximum yet, but I’m throwing at a certain level. Around 30 pitches, something like that.” It was the kind of detail that fits the stage he’s in right now: real work, but not the final ramp.
He also described what it’s like blending into a new season around new faces, even on a team that’s familiar. “Like before, I think you start by matching names and faces,” Ohtani said, “and greeting people. That’s where it begins.”
As for how the WBC will affect the rest of the year, he focused on the key to it all: his health. “It’s about my condition,” Ohtani said, “but also about the season itself.” He pointed out that last year was a return year, and this year is about carrying the workload across a full season, which changes the conversation. “It becomes a topic that includes not only my condition, but other things too,” he said, “and it’s communication with the team.” The biggest positive, he felt, is that he’s been able to participate smoothly so far. “Being able to do things smoothly is a plus for me,” Ohtani said. “That’s a good thing.”
He also noted the practical reality of travel timing, and how much of it is still going to be worked out. He said there are preferences about joining earlier and getting work in, but it has to fit around multiple factors. “I want to match the schedule as much as possible,” Ohtani said, “but there are family things too.” And on top of that, he said it will come down to ongoing coordination. “Whether it’s ‘come a little earlier,’ or ‘throw a little more before you go,’ including those things,” Ohtani said, “I think it will be something we keep communicating about.”
Finally, when asked if he feels ahead of schedule, he didn’t bite on the idea that he’s racing the calendar. He basically said “normal” is a tricky word for him because so many of his recent offseasons have included surgery. “It’s not like it’s the fastest it’s ever been,” Ohtani said. “But in my past, it often felt like I was starting the next season after surgery, so it’s hard to say what ‘normal’ is.” This year, though, he said the setup has been steady. “Without surgery, as preparation to start toward next season,” Ohtani said, “I think it’s about the usual pace.”
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