The Chicago Cubs missed out on superstar free agent Shohei Ohtani, but fans will still get an early look at the phenom next season.
Ohtani, who signed a record-breaking 10-year, $700 million deal with the Dodgers on Saturday, won’t have to move far to play for his new club after spending the first six years of his career with the Los Angeles Angels.
Next season, the Dodgers will kick off their season in South Korea against the Padres, but then they’ll head home for seven games against the Cardinals and Giants.
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Their first true road series of the season will start on April 5, when Ohtani and the Dodgers will visit Wrigley Field to take on the Chicago Cubs.
According to Baseball Reference, Wrigley Field is one of two MLB ballparks where Ohtani has yet to play in his MLB career, with the other being Pittsburgh’s PNC Park.
In three games against the Cubs, Ohtani is 3-for-11 with one home run and one RBI. He has a career .429 on-base percentage against the North Siders.
Ohtani won’t be pitching for the Dodgers during that early-season series, as he’ll be off the mound throughout 2024 after undergoing surgery on his pitching elbow.
MLB
Fans who miss Ohtani at the Friendly Confines will also get a chance to see him on Chicago's South Side when the Dodgers take on the White Sox June 24-26.