Dodgers' Dave Roberts Responds to Shohei Ohtani Saying He Wants to Do Home Run Derby

Will Ohtani compete in the Home Run Derby?

Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Dodgers star designated hitter Shohei Ohtani revealed he would like to compete in the Home Run Derby this year. Ohtani, who has only competed in the event once in his career in 2021, has been contemplating competing in the derby.

Of course Ohtani would first need the approval of the Dodgers, his trainers, and doctors to do so — not necessarily a guarantee, since he has been unable to pitch this year after sustaining a torn UCL in 2023.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts plans to support Ohtani in whatever decision he makes, and also recognizes the attention it could help bring to MLB.

“For the game, I think it’s great, for the workload part of it, I’d probably not want him to do it,” Roberts told reporters. “For me, I think ultimately I will just defer to him. No one can argue that a manager wouldn’t want their player to swing as hard as he can for essentially 45 minutes when [that player] is supposed to be on a break, right? But the other side is, obviously, he’s the biggest star in the game, and it makes [the derby] more attractive. So I think whatever he decides, I’ll support it.”

Still, Roberts expressed a natural concern given that Ohtani is rehabbing his pitching after undergoing surgery last year.

“I don’t ever want to be the guy that says you can’t do it, because I wouldn’t want to have somebody tell me I couldn’t do it,” Roberts said. “But the surgery adds a different component. It’s rounds and rounds of [swings].”

Even if he doesn't end up competing in the Home Run Derby, fans can often see him hitting home runs just by tuning into the Dodgers. Ohtani has racked up an RBI in each of his last 10 games to set a franchise record.