"Best of luck Shohei Ohtani, we're going to come after you"- Marlins skipper playfully warns Dodgers superstar

New Miami Marlins manager Clayton McCullough took a playful dig at Shohei Ohtani by warning the reigning National League MVP that his team is not going to offer him any quarter when they face each other on the field. McCullough joked that he has buried his friendship with the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar and moved on from the past after leaving the team.

Clayton McCullough was named as the new Miami Marlins manager after Skip Schumacher vacated the post at the end of the 2024 campaign. This is his first assignment as the skipper of an MLB team after serving as a first base coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2021 to 2024. Moreover, he had a habit of bumping heads with Shohei Ohtani whenever the latter would end up safely at first base.

On Friday, MLB Network analysts Greg Amsinger and Yonder Alonso caught up with Clayton McCullough at the Miami Marlins spring training camp in Jupiter, Florida. The Marlins manager offered a light-hearted caution to Shohei Ohtani during the interview.

"Best of luck, Shohei. We're going to come after you when we meet during the season, alright? Not going to miss the Shohei headbumps. That's in the past. Turned the page," McCullough laughed.

Ohtani posted a historic 50-50 season in his first season with the Dodgers last year and had worked extensively with McCullough in stealing bases.

Shohei Ohtani hits home run in first spring training game for the Dodgers

Shohei Ohtani hit a home run in his first spring training at-bat of the year (Image Source: IMAGN)

Shohei Ohtani marked his first spring training game of the year with a home run in his very first at-bat when the Los Angeles Dodgers faced the Los Angeles Angels in Glendale, Arizona, for their Cactus League contest on Friday. Batting leadoff, the Japanese superstar drove a pitch from compatriot Yusei Kikuchi over the left field wall in the first inning of the game.

Ohtani looks set to continue on from his phenomenal campaign last year, while he also showed no lingering effects from the left shoulder surgery that he underwent during the offseason. The three-time MVP spoke to reporters after the game.

"Regardless of the results, I think the biggest takeaway was that I got through my three at-bats without any issues," Ohtani said through his interpreter. "Physically, I felt really good."

"It's a constant feedback between how I feel and how the swing actually looks," he added. "Today was pretty good. I felt like it was pretty consistent."

Ohtani had injured his left shoulder during a stolen base attempt in Game 2 of the World Series against the New York Yankees. The two-way superstar is also set to make his return to the mound this year. Ohtani was unable to pitch last year as he was recovering from an elbow surgery that he had gone through in 2023.