Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani Makes More MLB History, Joining Only Ichiro
With one out in the bottom of the third inning on Saturday against the Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani slid into second base safely for his 100th career stolen base.
The achievement is historical as he became the second Japanese-born player to accomplish the feat joining Seattle Mariners legend Ichiro Suzuki. The two athletes are also the only Japanese-born players to hit 100 home runs and steal 100 bases in their careers.
Ohtani entered Saturday’s game sputtering. He has been hitting .196 (10-for-51) in 13 games, a drop-off which coincides with his hamstring injury. He was hurt when he was hit by a pickoff throw against Cincinnati on May 16 and the injury was apparent with his baserunning.
However, manager Dave Roberts told reporters before the game that he believes Ohtani is nearing full strength.
“He’s a finely-tuned machine, and sometimes in the context of a sports car, when it’s not firing on all cylinders, it just doesn’t run,” Roberts said.
“When his back was bothering him a little bit, you saw some funkier swings, a little more chase. Hamstring bothering him a little bit, you see a little bit of the same thing.”
Even with Ohtani’s struggles, his batting average only dropped to .326. The Dodgers are also fifth in the major leagues in runs scored (289).
Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
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