Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani is expected to return to the Pitcher Hill in May. Even though he couldn't pitch due to injury last year, Major League Baseball relaxed the rules for the status of a "second-rate" player, so that Ohtani can still maintain his status as a second-rate player in the new season and not occupy the pitcher spot. Major League Baseball home run champion Barry Bonds believes that pitching is too costly and suggests Ohtani stay focused on hitting or transition to a less physically demanding bullpen pitcher.

Speaking on Foul Territory, Bonds said: "I feel like he should stay in the area where he is doing his best. Why make a change when everything is going well? Pitching wears him out, and I think he can be a relay pitcher, with just one or two innings at a time, and his ball speed, slideball, and dip ball are up to the job. ”

In the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) Gold Medal Game, Ohtani served as the designated batter (DH) and rescue pitcher, finishing Team USA captain Mike "Trout" Trout with a "Goodbye Strikeout" in the 9th inning, writing the greatest moment in the history of the baseball classic.

Ohtani has nine years left on his contract with the Dodgers, and from a long-term physical exhaustion perspective, a designated hitter (DH)/rescue pitcher combination could take his career even further. At the same time, the Japanese media pointed out that Ohtani aspires to reach the pinnacle of baseball skills, and he has won honors such as home run king, point king, and Most Valuable Player (MVP); But when it comes to pitching, his best result is No. 4 in the 2022 Celebrity-Young Awards, and he still has top honors to challenge in the starting pitcher category.