Shohei Ohtani Gets High Praise From Dodgers Teammate Who's Worked Out With Him This Offseason

Ohtani seems to already be making an impact on his teammates.

The Dodgers' signing of two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani sent shockwaves throughout the sports world. The entire Dodger fanbase is excited for Ohtani to start his next chapter in Los Angeles, and it seems Ohtani is already making an impact around the locker room despite it still being the offseason.

Dodgers shortstop Gavin Lux joined SportsNet LA recently and praised Ohtani after the two players worked out together at Dodger Stadium.

“He’s just a really fun person to be around. He keeps everything super light, but he gets his work in. He’s in the weight room, he’s busting his you know what. When he’s taking his slips right now going through his rehab progression, it is intent. Everything is with intent, focus." 

.@TheRealGavinLux joins our studio crew to discuss where he’s at with his rehab, how it’s like being around Shohei and more. pic.twitter.com/uaLclrBtOu

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) January 25, 2024

Lux sounds much like everyone else whenever they speak about Ohtani, and it's great to see the two players already bonding. Ohtani has been working out at Dodger Stadium this offseason, so he's likely already met a lot of the guys in the clubhouse.

He has a presence to him that many others can't replicate, and players have spoken about this many times. The guys in the locker room will benefit from having Ohtani on the team, and just simply learning from how he goes about his preparation to play.

"He's just a freak of nature," Lux said. "You get up next to him, he’s huge. We did the force plates yesterday and he’s like the best jumper in the organization. Just the stuff he can do on the baseball field is obviously unbelievable. But getting to be around him and see how he works and get to know him a little bit, it’s been pretty cool. I think we’re gonna score a lot of runs this year with him.”

Gavin Lux knows what sets apart new Dodgers teammate Shohei Ohtani from the rest of the MLB💪 (Via @sportsnetla ) pic.twitter.com/RzwlRNxGeQ

— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) January 25, 2024

Having Ohtani on the roster, along with the other star players, allows Lux to ease back into everything. Coming off his ACL tear, the pressure won't be on him to carry this team. Los Angeles will be looking for a good season from the former top prospect, and having Ohtani around could help his overall development.