Clayton Kershaw Gives Some Insight Into Shohei Ohtani

Hi, and invited to different version of Dodgers Dugout. My sanction is Houston Mitchell reminding you we are only 22 days distant from nan play opener.

Clayton Kershaw appeared connected “The Pat McAfee Show” connected Monday and had this to opportunity astir Shohei Ohtani:

“With Shohei, he’s sewage to transportation and he’s sewage to hit, and he’s a monster successful nan weight room, and he’s truthful fast, each these things,” Kershaw said. “So it’s astonishing what Shohei does. And arsenic acold arsenic secrets, I don’t cognize really he does it. I person nary idea. I’ve watched him for a fewer years, still person nary thought really he does it.

“I deliberation pinch nan media circus that follows him everyplace and each nan Japanese reporters that are successful L.A., arsenic a team, we don’t spot that. He does specified a bully occupation of handling each that and still being a bully teammate and still playing really well. So, for illustration I said, it each bakes into nan look … I don’t cognize really he does everything that he does, because he virtually does person a state watching him each 2nd of nan day.

“We played opening time successful Tokyo past twelvemonth and that was wild. I deliberation it was astir apt for illustration what nan Beatles were. It’s benignant of for illustration that’s what I would experience, conscionable being astir Shohei and being connected nan Dodgers. That was erstwhile successful a life to spot him successful Tokyo past year.”

“And he’s funny. He speaks a batch of English, which I don’t cognize if he lets connected to nan media excessively much. But Shohei’s great, and he’s been a awesome summation to nan clubhouse.”

Do Spring Training games matter?

The Dodgers are 8-3 successful accumulation games. But does it mean anything? Let’s return a look astatine nan squad pinch nan champion outpouring training grounds since 2016 and besides really nan Dodgers did each year:

2016
Best outpouring record: Washington, 19-4, .826
Season record: 95-67, .586

Dodgers: 13-17, .433
Season record: 91-71, .562

World Series winners: Chicago Cubs
Their outpouring record: 11-19

2017
Best outpouring record: NY Yankees, 24-9, .727
Season record: 91-71, .562

Dodgers: 18-17, .514
Season record: 104-58, .642

World Series winners: Houston Astros*
Their outpouring record: 15-15

*-Astros cheated to triumph nan 2017 World Series.

2018
Best outpouring record: Boston, 22-9, .710
Season record: 108-54, .667

Dodgers: 17-15, .531
Season record: 92-71, .564

World Series winners: Boston Red Sox

2019
Best outpouring record: Oakland, 14-8, .636
Season record: 97-65, .599

Dodgers: 14-15, .483
Season record: 106-56, .654

World Series winners: Washington Nationals
Their outpouring record: 17-12

2020
Best outpouring record: Philadelphia, 15-6, .714
Season record: 28-32, .467

Dodgers: 13-7, .650
Season record: 43-17, .717

World Series winners: Dodgers

2021
Best record: Miami, 14-5, .737
Season record: 67-95, .414

Dodgers: 13-11, .542
Season record: 106-56, .654

World Series winners: Atlanta Braves
Their outpouring record: 15-13

2022
Best outpouring record: Angels, 11-6, .647
Season record: 73-89, .451

Dodgers: 5-9, .357
Season record: 111-51, .685

World Series winners: Houston Astros
Their outpouring record: 8-5

2023
Best outpouring record: St. Louis, 17-7, .708
Season record: 71-91, .438

Dodgers: 14-13, .519
Season record: 100-62, .617

World Series winners: Texas Rangers
Their outpouring record: 13-15

2024
Best outpouring record: Baltimore, 23-6, .793
Season record: 91-71, .562

Dodgers: 14-7, .667
Season record: 98-64, .605

World Series winners: Dodgers

2025
Best outpouring record: San Francisco, 21-6, .778
Season record: 81-81, .500

Dodgers: 14-9, .609
Season record: 93-69, .574

World Series winners: Dodgers

As you tin see, only erstwhile has nan squad pinch nan champion outpouring grounds gone connected to triumph nan World Series. Four times, nan squad pinch nan champion outpouring grounds had a losing grounds successful nan regular season. The past clip nan Dodgers had a losing outpouring record, they went connected to triumph 111 games. So, conscionable bask nan accumulation games for what they are, meaningless fun.

Or, arsenic Andrew Friedman told my workfellow Bill Shaikin astir outpouring training games, “It’s ever nosy to win. That is ever measurement much nosy than losing. But truthful overmuch of outpouring training is, conscionable don’t get a telephone from our trainer. Keep guys healthy.”

Blake Snell improbable to beryllium connected opening time roster

Dave Roberts said that Blake Snell won’t look successful a outpouring training crippled this season, which would look to bespeak he won’t beryllium connected nan opening time roster.

“He’s not connected a mound correct now. He’s not successful games,” Roberts told reporters. “The likelihood of him starting nan play are astir apt zero.... I deliberation he’s moving done it successful nan consciousness of, past twelvemonth he was connected a caller team. He pushed done things to commencement nan play healthy, which is understandable. And you study from it, he was ne'er correct each year. I deliberation that this year, he’s going to make judge that he is fresh to go.”

Gavin Stone sidelined

Gavin Stone, who sat retired past play aft enarthrosis surgery, has had a setback.

“Stone threw nan inning and past he had a bullpen nan adjacent day, and past his enarthrosis flared up and was sore,” Roberts told reporters Monday. “And truthful correct now, we put him connected ice, and trying to fto nan soreness dissipate. So, fixed everything that he’s gone done pinch nan shoulder, we wanted to make judge that we benignant of pushed pause, truthful I don’t cognize erstwhile he’s going to commencement throwing again, but I deliberation it is simply a setback unfortunately.”

Stone had an MRI connected Tuesday that showed nary structural damage, conscionable inflammation, which is nan champion imaginable news. He will extremity each throwing activities for 2 weeks and beryllium re-evaluated.

WBC schedule

The World Baseball Classic starts today, and 5 Dodgers are participating: Will Smith for nan U.S., Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto for Japan, Edwin Díaz for Puerto Rico and Hyeseong Kim for Korea. Former Dodger (how weird does that sound) Clayton Kershaw is besides connected nan U.S. team. Three Dodger insignificant leaguers are participating: pitcher Antonio Knowles for Great Britain, infielder Jake Gelof for Israel, and pitcher Shawndrick Oduber for Netherlands.

Here is nan schedule for nan U.S. games. You tin find nan entire schedule by clicking here.

Friday
5 p.m.: USA vs. Brazil, Fox

Saturday
5 p.m.: Great Britain vs. USA, Fox

Monday
5 p.m.: Mexico vs. USA, Fox

Tuesday
6 p.m.: Italy vs. USA, FS1

Quarterfinals are March 13-14
Semifinals are March 15-16
Title crippled is March 17 astatine 5 p.m. connected Fox

In lawsuit you missed it

Dodgers’ Roki Sasaki struggles early successful 2nd Cactus League start, past settles down

Shaikin: Will Klein isn’t amazed he saved nan Dodgers’ World Series dynasty

Shaikin: Clayton Kershaw’s ‘perfect’ ending has 1 last section successful WBC

‘That’s what I expect.’ Dodgers’ Mookie Betts seeks to regain his All-Star form

For pitching imaginable Jackson Ferris, Dodgers statement is ‘a activity of caller air’

Shaikin: In L.A. and successful Cooperstown, Freddie Freeman will everlastingly beryllium a Dodger, not a Brave

Edwin Díaz is unquestionably nan Dodgers’ closer. How nan remainder of nan bullpen shapes up

‘Maybe you’re successful nan incorrect business.’ Blake Treinen fires backmost astatine Dodgers’ spending critics

Shaikin: Dodgers hype time: How galore games will they triumph successful 2026?

‘Just spell retired and pitch.’ Dodgers’ Tyler Glasnow is businesslike successful his first outpouring start

‘Things I request to activity on.’ Dodgers’ Roki Sasaki struggles successful first Cactus League start

After ‘a normal offseason,’ Freddie Freeman drives successful 2 successful Cactus League debut

SoCal merchandise Pete Crow-Armstrong disses Dodgers fans pinch a funny comment

‘Pretty healthy’ Kyle Tucker contented to fresh successful among Dodgers’ postulation of stars

And finally

Maury Wills hits a walk-off azygous to triumph nan 1966 All-Star crippled for nan NL. Watch and perceive here.

Until adjacent time....

Have a remark aliases thing you’d for illustration to spot successful a early Dodgers newsletter? Email maine astatine houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter successful your inbox, click here.