In the baseball world, Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani is a large man at 6 foot 4. But, when standing beside former UC Irvine basketball standout Mamadou N’Diaye, the Japanese phenom looks like a midget.

Ohtani worked a full count against Los Angeles Angels pitcher Yusei Kikuchi before driving a fastball to the opposite field.

Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani, who is coming off left shoulder surgery in November, will serve as the designated hitter in his spring training debut against his former team, the Los Angeles Angels, on Friday.

Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Shohei Ohtani hit a solo home run in his first spring training plate appearance following offseason shoulder surgery.

The Dodgers star hit a solo home run against his former team, the Angels, in his first at-bat of spring training on Friday.

Shohei Ohtani opened 2025 in style on Friday, hitting a home run in his first plate appearance of spring training after missing time following shoulder surgery. Serving as the Los Angeles Dodgers' designated hitter while leading off the bottom of the first inning,

Shohei Ohtani goes deep in the 1st inning against the Angels. Facebook; Twitter; Email

Shohei Ohtani continues to rehab from elbow surgery in an attempt to return to the pitcher's mound with that likely happening at some point in May. Meanwhile, he also had surgery on his non-throwing shoulder in the offseason after injuring it during the World Series.