"Unless you're Shohei Ohtani, your body's gonna break down" - 3x All-Star hails Japanese superstar as an anomaly in injury-prone MLB era

Recently retired Matt Kemp praised Shohei Ohtani for his intense work ethic and ability to keep himself healthy during a period when most of MLB's top stars fall prey to devastating injuries. While speaking about pitchers' speeds and their longevity, the Dodgers lineup advisor made the comparison.

Even though the pitch clock has been identified as one of the reasons for the majority of pitcher injuries, with the evolving world of baseball, pitchers are trying to reach maximum velocities for longer stretches. That has contributed to various injuries for top stars.

While discussing this phenomenon in a press meeting following his retirement after a one-day contract with the Dodgers, Kemp pointed out that Ohtani's body is built differently.

"The game is just different. The guys are throwing harder a lot more, but the only thing with them throwing harder is they're getting hurt a lot more. ... Unless you're Shohei Ohtani, your body's gonna break down. Ohtani is a different cat. He's still hitting bombs, 'Oh I can't pitch, Imma hit 50 bombs," Kemp said (via Dodger Blue).

Despite praises about his physique, it has to be accepted that Ohtani has undergone two UCL surgeries on his pitching arm. Even though regarded for his two-way prowess, the Dodgers superstar has only been on the plate this season and is expected to pitch for them starting in 2025.

Shohei Ohtani nearing 40-40 season

Shohei Ohtani hit his 39th home run during Dodgers 2-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday. On the first pitch he faced in the fourth innings, the generational player hit a 79mph curveball from Sonny Gray into the right-center field for a 396-foot home run.

Ohtani also has 37 stolen bases, with the last two coming in the previous game, which ended with a 5-2 defeat. He is inching closer to the all-elusive 40-40 club as he will join the likes of Alex Rodriguez, Alfonso Soriano, Barry Bonds, Jose Canseco and Ronald Acuna Jr.

Dodgers will host the Mariners for a three-way game next.