Ohtani didn't rule out a return to the Home Run Derby in the future.
The 2024 MLB Home Run Derby on Monday night will feature a handful of the league's biggest sluggers, though fans will certainly be wishingOhtani, who is batting this season for the Dodgers but won't return to the mound until the 2025 season, explained to reporters on Monday that his absence from this year's Home Run Derby is related to his load management as he continues to recover from elbow surgery he underwent in '23.
Ohtani has been working to minimize the amount of swings he takes during batting practice and warmups, so participating in the event would be counterintuitive to his recovery.
In 2024, Ohtani is slugging .635 and has hit 29 home runs. He's second in both categories in all of baseball, trailing onlyAlthough he won't be launching baseballs into the seats at Globe Life Field on Monday night, he kept the door open to a return to the event down the line once he's back to 100% health.Karl Rasmussen is a staff writer for the Breaking and Trending News team for Sports Illustrated.
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