Shohei Ohtani News: Leads off Sunday's loss with homer

Ohtani went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Sunday in a 3-1 loss to the Mets.

Highlighting why Ohtani is the most unique player in baseball, the two-way star threw a 22-pitch live batting practice session -- marking his first time facing live hitters since undergoing Tommy John surgery in September 2023 -- before Sunday's game and then led off the contest with a 411-foot solo blast on Kodai Senga's second pitch. While excitement is starting to build about Ohtani's eventual return to the mound, he continues to rank as one of the league's most feared hitters, tying for the MLB lead with 18 home runs while posting a 1.026 OPS. According to Ronald Blum of the Associated Press, manager Dave Roberts said that Ohtani likely won't make his debut as a pitcher until after the All-Star break, but in the meantime, the 30-year-old should continue to provide plenty of value for fantasy managers with his production at the plate.