PHOENIX —
In his first two live at-bats of the spring, new Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani went down on strikes.
Then, in his third trip to the plate, he offered a potential preview of what could come in his debut Dodgers season.
Taking live batting practice for not only the first time this spring, but since undergoing elbow surgery last September, Ohtani dazzled a crowd of fans, reporters and team personnel at Camelback Ranch on Monday by cracking a long home run off reliever J.P. Feyereisen.
The fact Ohtani was ready to face real pitching at all — exactly five months since his second career Tommy John procedure — was a positive sign about his potential to be ready for opening day.