Despite long lines and brutal weekday Los Angeles traffic, thousands of Shohei Ohtani fans flocked to Dodger Stadium on Monday to catch his L.A. pitching debut, creating stunning scenes at the ballpark.
Check out some photos from the two-way star’s big night … even hours before Ohtani toed the rubber for the first time since the 2023 season, his supporters were seen all over the stadium.
No. 17 jerseys were everywhere — some were adorned with hot dog costumes! — and even as he warmed up in the bullpen, hundreds were seen with their cameras out filming every one of his movements.
Ohtani — whose lengthy hiatus from pitching was due to an elbow injury — eventually took the hill to face the Padres at around 7 PM … and according to the game’s box score, more than 53,000 people were in their seats to watch him hurl baseballs at 100 MPH.
He ended up looking a bit shaky in his one inning of work — giving up two hits and an earned run on 28 pitches — but he still shined with the bat in his hands.
He went 2-for-4 at the dish with two RBIs … and helped lift the Dodgers to a 6-3 win over their rival.
Afterward, he seemed pleased with his evening … taking to his Instagram page to share some pics and a two-word caption:
“I’m back.”