The 2023 World Baseball Classic is over, so it’s time to get back to normal for some of the MLB stars that participated in the tournament.
That includes, of course, Los Angeles Angels stars Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani.
They were the main actors in a fierce battle that took place in the ninth inning of Tuesday’s WBC final.
Ohtani came out on top with a clutch strikeout that gave Japan its third title in the competition.
Earlier on Wednesday, Angels insider Jeff Fletcher detailed the road back for both Ohtani and Trout.
He explained that the Japanese star will pitch in a minor league game on Friday in Tempe and then on Opening Day, in Oakland.
Trout, per Fletcher, is going straight back to Anaheim for the freeway series.
MLB insider Bob Nightengale highlighted how Ohtani will go from pitching in front of a record audience (both in attendance at loanDepot Park and on TV) to a mere preparation game with barely a small crowd.
“One day, he’s electrifying the world in front of a frenzied sellout crowd with millions of fans watching on TV. Three days from now, Shohei Ohtani will be pitching in front of dozens in a minor league game,” Nightengale tweeted.
One day, he’s electrifying the world in front of a frenzied sellout crowd with millions of fans watching on TV.
Three days from now, Shohei Ohtani will be pitching in front of dozens in a minor league game. https://t.co/Mah52GFDum—Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) March 22, 2023
The world is an ever-changing place!
All kidding aside, it was always part of the plan to have Ohtani throw on Friday.
Don’t worry: when he takes the hill on Opening Day, all the eyes and the flashes will be on him again.
He has become MLB’s most famous player, and deservedly so.
It’s a fun fact to point out, but Friday will actually be one of the few times Ohtani doesn’t fill a stadium when pitching.
NEXT:
Shohei Ohtani Made A New Friend At The WBC
