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Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani returned to his old stomping ground, Angel Stadium, for the first time since his move away from the Angels in the offseason.
Shohei Ohtani, who spent six years with the Angels since his MLB debut in 2018, received a rousing reception from the crowd at Angel Stadium before his first at-bat.
The scoreboard at the ballpark also displayed Ohtani's achievements during his memorable six years with the team. Here's the video:
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Shohei Ohtani made his MLB debut for the Angels after arriving from Japan, where he shot to global recognition with his two-way ability for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.
The Japanese superstar made an instant mark on fans and experts, claiming the AL Rookie of the Year title in his debut season. Although the Angels failed to make the postseason in his six years with them, Ohtani racked up two MVP accolades along with three All-Star selections from 2021 to 2023.
Shohei Ohtani elected for free agency after his Angels contract ended last year. He moved to city rivals, the Dodgers, for an MLB record $700 million deal for 10 years in December 2023.
Dodgers manager believes Anaheim return will give closure to Shohei Ohtani
Shohei Ohtani has been lights-out for the Dodgers in his limited role as a designated hitter and is poised to make the postseason for the first time in his career.
Although Ohtani didn't win any team honors with the Angels, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts believes it will be a moment to cherish for the Japanese superstar who achieved so much on the personal front with the support from Angels fans. Roberts said:
“Just speaking for Shohei, it might be a little bit of closure, in the sense of it was such a great time here in Anaheim, as far as getting with the fans.
"They'll get a chance to show their appreciation tonight. It will be a nice moment, but I know he's excited to be a Dodger and competing for a championship.”
The Angels took the lead in the series opener on Tuesday after Logan O'Hoppe's solo home run in the second inning. But the Dodgers responded instantly with the returning Shohei Ohtani hitting an RBI triple to level the scoring.
Mookie Betts followed with another RBI single as the Dodgers took the lead in the third. The Dodgers were level at 2-2 at the time of writing.
