Dodgers, Padres open season today in Seoul
Shohei Ohtani will make his regular-season debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers hidden from plain view, a half a world away and in the earlymorning hours for U.S. fans.
The most anticipated story of the 2024 season begins in Seoul, South Korea, on Wednesday when Ohtani takes the field for the Dodgers against the San Diego Padres in the first of two regular-season games.
First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 a.m. ET, or 3:05 a.m. in Southern California. ESPN will televise the game.
For the Dodgers, there is not only the addition of Ohtani, but his Japanese countryman, right-hander
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, as well as right-hander
Tyler Glasnow, who was acquired in a trade with
Tampa Bay.
Glasnow will take the mound Wednesday in his debut for his hometown team.
In 21 starts last season, Glasnow went 10-7 with a 3.53 ERA for the Rays. His experience against the Padres is limited with just five relief innings over his eight major-league seasons, all in 2018.
Ohtani will serve as the Dodgers’ designated hitter. The two-way star isn’t expected to pitch this season following elbow surgery although it’s possible he’ll get some time in the outfield at some point.
The Padres are getting plenty of love in South Korea as well. Their starting shortstop is Ha-Seong Kim, who was born in Seoul and hit two home runs in his former home ballpark during an exhibition game Monday.
San Diego has another talent from Asia, Japan’s
Yu Darvish, set to start Wednesday.
GIANTS LAND SNELL
The biggest remaining name on the free-agent market found a home Monday night when lefthander Blake Snell agreed to a two-year, $62 million contract with San Francisco.
The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner will have the right to opt out of the deal after the 2024 season, per reports.
Snell, who also won the AL League Cy Young Award in 2018, reportedly was seeking a long-term contract through the winter but had yet to find a buyer midway through spring training.
He joins a rotation that also includes the pitcher who finished second to him in last year’s NL Cy Young voting, right-hander Logan Webb.
Snell, 31, went 14-9 with a major-league-leading 2.25 ERA in 32 starts last year for San Diego. He walked a big-league-high 99 batters, but he yielded the fewest hits per nine innings among starting pitchers, 5.8 (115 hits in 180 innings).
Snell began his major league career with Tampa Bay in 2016. He earned his lone All-Star team selection in 2018, when he went 21-5 and led the AL in wins and ERA (1.89). He was traded to the Padres in December 2020 for a four-player package topped by catcher Francisco Mejia.
In 191 major league appearances, all starts, Snell has a 71-55 record with a 3.20 ERA, 1,223 strikeouts, 451 walks and 775 hits allowed in 9922⁄3 innings.
Earlier in the offseason, the Giants signed two other notable free agents: outfielder Jung Hoo Lee
on a six-year, $113 million deal and third baseman Matt Chapman for three years and $54 million.
ELSEWHERE
Phillies: First baseman Bryce Harper was prescribed rest for his ailing back and anticipates rejoining the lineup Friday. He sat out Monday for the fourth consecutive spring training game with soreness in his lower back.
He left the game last Thursday against Boston and has zero home runs and no RBI this spring. Given back issues in the past, Harper is aware of outside concern about his availability early in the season. He said he “overdid it” and will be ready for Opening Day on March 28 against Atlanta.
Yankees: Third baseman DJ LeMahieu will miss some time during spring training because of a bruised right foot, manager Aaron Boone said. LeMahieu hit a foul ball off the top of his foot Saturday; an X-ray and a CT scan came back negative for a fracture, Boone said. LeMahieu, 35, has a history of foot issues and won’t be rushed back in the 10 days before Opening Day. ... Aaron Judge is expected to play in Wednesday night’s exhibition against Pittsburgh after an eightday layoff caused by an abdominal injury.