Los Angeles Dodgers star designated hitter Shohei Ohtani has expressed his desire to participate in the Home Run Derby this year. Ohtani, who previously competed in the event in 2021, is considering making a return.
However, Ohtani would need approval from the Dodgers, his trainers, and doctors, given that he has been unable to pitch this year due to a torn UCL sustained in 2023. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has stated that he will support Ohtani’s decision, acknowledging the potential positive impact on MLB.
“For the game, I think it’s great. For the workload part of it, I’d probably not want him to do it,” Roberts told reporters. “Ultimately, I will defer to him. No one can argue that a manager wouldn’t want their player to swing as hard as he can for essentially 45 minutes when that player is supposed to be on a break. But on the other side, he’s the biggest star in the game, and it makes the derby more attractive. So I think whatever he decides, I’ll support it.”
Roberts also voiced concerns about Ohtani’s ongoing rehabilitation from surgery last year. “I don’t ever want to be the guy that says you can’t do it, because I wouldn’t want to have somebody tell me I couldn’t do it,” Roberts said. “But the surgery adds a different component. It’s rounds and rounds of swings.”
Even if Ohtani doesn’t compete in the Home Run Derby, fans can still enjoy his home run hitting by watching Dodgers games, where he has recently set a franchise record by racking up an RBI in each of his last 10 games.