Japanese Samurai showdown! Shohei Ohtani faces Tomoyuki Sugano again after 222 days.

The Colorado Rockies will host the Los Angeles Dodgers for a four-game series starting tomorrow in Denver. Japanese pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano is confirmed to start the first game for the Rockies, while Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers is expected to return to the lineup. The matchup between these two Japanese stars will once again take place.

36-year-old Tomoyuki Sugano pitched 6 innings in his previous game (April 11 Beijing time) against the San Diego Padres, allowing 4 hits and 2 runs, delivering a quality start without a win or loss. This season, he has played 3 games with a record of 1 win and 0 losses, an ERA of 2.16, showing stable performance since the start of the season.

Shohei Ohtani recently suffered a hit to the back of his right shoulder by a pitch. In yesterday's home game against the New York Mets, he started as a pitcher and did not bat, pitching 6 innings with 2 hits, 10 strikeouts, and 1 run allowed, securing his second win of the season.

Dodgers manager Roberts stated that Shohei Ohtani is expected to return as the designated hitter starting from the next game, confirming his return to the lineup on April 18 Beijing time. Therefore, fans can look forward to the "Japanese Samurai" internal battle between Sugano and Ohtani.

Both players were selected for the Japanese national team in the World Baseball Classic this March. Their last encounter was on September 7 last year (September 8 Beijing time), when Shohei Ohtani hit his 47th first-pitch home run and 48th solo home run off Sugano, homering in consecutive at-bats. This will be their face-off again after 222 days.

Additionally, Dodgers' Roki Sasaki is expected to start in the third game on April 19 (April 20 Beijing time), facing Michael Lorenzen.