Shohei Ohtani will play in Angel Stadium for the first time in the regular season since he left the club in the offseason to join the Los Angeles Dodgers, who begin a two-game series against the Angels on Tuesday in Anaheim, Calif.
Ohtani, who played at Angel Stadium for the Dodgers (83-55) in a spring training game in March, played six seasons for the Angels (57-80) from 2018-23, earning the American League Rookie of the Year Award, two MVPs and three All-Star nods.
But he’s on his way to doing something he never did with the Angels and has never been done before in major league history.
With three more stolen bases in the Dodgers’ 11-6 win over the Diamondbacks on Monday, Ohtani, who has 44 homers and 46 stolen bases, could become the sport’s first 50-50 player.
“I think the most important thing is to be able to contribute to winning the game,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “And obviously, the closer I get to 50-50, the more I’m contributing to the team winning. So if that’s how it is, then I’m happy with that.”
He has already become the first player with at least 44 homers and 44 steals. The closest anyone else has come was Alex Rodriguez, who had 42 homers and 46 steals in 1998 for the Mariners.
“He’s incredible,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I don’t know what else to say. I don’t have any more superlatives on Shohei. He’s incredible.”
Ohtani has already established a career best in stolen bases — his previous high was 26 in 2021 when he won his first MVP. That same year, he hit a career-best 46 homers.
In 351 career games at Angel Stadium, Ohtani has hit .277 with 99 of his 215 career homers and a .954 OPS.
Right-hander Walker Buehler (1-4, 5.88 ERA) will make his 12th start of the season for the Dodgers. He is coming off a no-decision in his last start, when he gave up four runs (two earned) and five hits in 4 2/3 innings against the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday.
Buehler is 1-0 with a 4.02 ERA in three career starts against the Angels.
Left-hander Reid Detmers (3-6, 6.14) will make his 13th start of the season for the Angels, but his first since June 1, after which he was demoted to Triple-A Salt Lake.
Detmers didn’t fare much better for Salt Lake, going 6-6 with a 5.54 ERA in 14 starts. But he’s been better of late, putting up a 1.29 ERA with 29 strikeouts in 21 innings over his past three starts.
“We’re glad he’s throwing the ball well, and we just want him to come up and be Detmers,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “We’re not looking for anything special out of him. We’re looking for him to come up here and do the same thing we’re looking for from all our pitchers, go as deep in the ballgame as you can and give us a chance to be successful. That’s all we’re looking for. And he earned his way back.”
Detmers is 0-3 with a 7.58 ERA in four career starts against the Dodgers.
–Field Level Media
