Shohei Ohtani blasted a leadoff home run Tuesday and Wednesday against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field. Tuesday, as he watched the ball fly, Ohtani carried his bat with him until he knew the ball was certainly gone. The bat didn’t leave his hands until a few feet past first base.
Immediately afterward, the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ designated hitter had to double-check that he touched first base. After getting more than halfway to second base, he went back and touched the bag, “just to be safe,” Ohtani said.
It was an unusual adventure for a player with 196 home runs in his career.