Ohtani reportedly played a huge role in the Dodgers' recruitment of Sasaki, the 23-year-old pitching phenom, who posted a 29-15 record and 2.10 ERA in 64 appearances in the Nippon Professional Baseball. Ohtani also recently revealed his message was to Sasaki just before the latter picked the Dodgers.

The Dodgers will also add a third high-end pitcher to the rotation this year: Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani is wrapping up his rehab from his September 2023 elbow surgery and will resume pitching this season.

Shohei Ohtani pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers in May sounds “about right.” That's according to manager Dave Roberts, who spoke Saturday at the team's annual fan fest.