Ohtani `a lot further along' in his recovery than Dodgers expected
If there was any mystery about who is driving Shohei Ohtani’s rehab from elbow surgery in September, it was dispelled Friday.
The workout schedule posted in the Dodgers’ clubhouse Friday morning had Ohtani listed as one of the batters set to face Alex Vesia or Nabil Crismatt in a live batting practice session. Facing pitchers for the first time since his elbow surgery would represent a significant step forward in his recovery.
A large contingent of reporters, photographers and cameramen — most servicing Japanese media outlets — surrounded the field where this was supposed to happen.
But it didn’t. Ohtani didn’t emerge from the batting cages until the live session was over. Instead, he took batting practice with Dodgers coach Dino Ebel tossing instead, as he has every other day this week. This time, Ohtani took 26 swings and hit 13 over the fence, six consecutive swings at one point.
As Ohtani was leaving the clubhouse at the end of the day, he was asked about not taking live BP and said it was not his plan for Friday’s workout, apparently a miscommunication.
“Next week,” he said of his plan for live BP.
That would be quick progress
GLENDALE, ARIZ. >> for Ohtani, who arrived at Camelback Ranch last week hitting off a tee and soft toss only.
“He’s a lot further along than any of us not named Shohei would have expected,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “He’s worked really hard, and is very diligent in his work. What that means as far as when he’s gonna play in a Cactus League game, I don’t know that answer. But it seems like every single day, he keeps getting better and feels really good.”
Roberts acknowledged that the Dodgers have given Ohtani the autonomy to progress at his own pace.
“I think early on, it was more the thought of giving him as much latitude, and eliminate the kind of pressure, to be ready for Opening Day — to kind of let each day just happen, as we get to a point of when he’s ready, he’s ready,” Roberts said. “But just kind of how each passing week has gone, there just seems to be really good strides.”
Ohtani has said he is “very confident” he will be ready to play when the Dodgers open the season with two games in Korea on March 20-21. That would seem to make it a certainty he will play in Cactus League games at some point. But Roberts said he hasn’t talked with Ohtani yet about how much work the DH feels he will need to get ready for the season.
“I’m going to start talking to him on what he likes, as far as his expectation to get ready for a major-league season,” Roberts said. “Obviously game at-bats are important. But if we can get at-bats on a back field (where the minor-leaguers train), we can do that, too. Certainly everyone wants to see him on a baseball field and playing. I get that. But the main thing is to get him ready for Opening Day. And I think that we’ve got plenty of time to do that.”
Knee news
When Gavin Lux arrived in camp early last week, he was still wearing a heavy brace on the right knee he injured last spring. Since then, he has been cleared by Dr. Neal Elattrache to ditch the brace and replace it with a light compression sleeve.
“I hated that thing,” Lux said of the heavy brace.
Meanwhile, Chris Taylor was bothered by a right knee injury for much of last season. Diagnosed as a bone bruise with some wear and tear in the joint, Taylor received plateletrich plasma injections in the knee during the offseason. The knee is feeling much better so far this spring.
“I don’t know if it’s the injections,” Taylor said. “I think more so it’s the stuff in the weight room and training room that I’m doing. I think it’s more staying on top of it there.
“There’s some strengthening and some mobility stuff I’m doing with my hips to make sure I’m not putting too much stress on it (his knee).”
Ball talk
Dodgers reliever Ryan Brasier spent the 2017 season pitching for the Hiroshima Carp of the Japanese league. The ball they use in Japan is slightly different from the one used in MLB, raising questions about the adjustment right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto will have to make with the Dodgers.
Brasier dismisses any concern that Yamamoto will struggle with the new ball.
“It’s just a tiny bit smaller. You can’t even notice the difference. And it’s a little tackier,” Brasier said. “But the way I look at it — a ball is a ball is a ball. If you pick up a high-school ball or a major-league ball, you should be able to throw it.”
Yamamoto is scheduled to throw live BP during today’s workout.
Also
The Dodgers signed lefthander Justin Wilson to a minor-league contract with an invitation to big-league camp. The 36-year-old Wilson has spent parts of 11 seasons with six big-league teams, but has pitched just 3 2/3 innings in the majors over the past two years while recovering from Tommy John surgery and a lat injury.
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GIRLS BASKETBALL
(Games at 7 p.m., unless indicated)
POOL PLAY
Open Division
Ontario Christian at Etiwanda Centennial at Bishop Montgomery
SEMIFINALS
Division 1
Harvard-westlake at Santiago, 4p.m.
Division 2AA
Buena Park at Moreno Valley
Division 4AA
Santa Paula at Rancho Cucamonga, 6p.m.
Division 5AA
La Mirada at Colton
Division 5A
Temecula Prep at St. Pius X-ST. Matthias
GIRLS SOCCER
SEMIFINALS
Open Division, second leg
Los Alamitos at Santiago, 6 p.m. (Santiago leads 1-0 on aggregate score)
Division 1
Roosevelt at Etiwanda, 5 p.m.
Division 2
Ayala at Quartz Hill, 5p.m.
Division 5
Estancia at San Jacinto, 3p.m.
Division 6
Colton at Diamond Ranch, 3 p.m.
GIRLS WATER POLO
CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Mt. San Antonio College
Division 2
Alta Loma vs. Sunny Hills, 9:30 p.m.
Division 3
Centennial vs. Palos Verdes, 1:30 p.m.
Division 5
Chaparral vs. Troy, 4:10 p.m.
GIRLS WRESTLING
CIF Southern Section Masters Meet at Palm Springs HS, 10 a.m.