Dave Roberts Reveals Thinking Behind Batting Shohei Ohtani 2nd

Today is the day, Dodgers fans. Tuesday marked the first time the Dodgers’ new two-way superstar, Shohei Ohtani, stood in a batter’s box wearing Dodger blue in an exhibition game.

Ohtani was batting second, right behind Mookie Betts and in front of Freddie Freeman. There was a discussion on where Ohtani would bat in the order all offseason long, and finally, manager Dave Roberts decided on the 29-year-old batting second. Why is that?

Roberts explained his thinking to the media, including Doug Padilla of the Southern California News Group:

Ohtani is a two-time American League Most Valuable Player, and has hit anywhere from first to third in the lineup. His place in the lineup might not look like a big deal, but Roberts believes he will greatly complement others by hitting second in the lineup.

Ohtani has already taken two at-bats in his Cactus League debut. You can watch his first one here.

Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

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