Shohei Ohtani exploded in the first inning! Manager marvels: He's truly special in June

The Dodgers' Japanese two-way superstar, Shohei Ohtani, launched a leadoff homer in the first inning against the Minnesota Twins on June 23 (Beijing time). It marked his second home run since the birth of his second child, bringing his season total to 17 and his June tally to 7. Manager Dave Roberts noted, "What Ohtani has done since June began is really special."

Right from the start of the game, Ohtani showcased his power in the top of the first. Facing right-hander Zebby Matthews, he locked onto a changeup in the middle of the zone on a 1-strike count and crushed it over the right-field wall. The home run had an exit velocity of 112.8 mph (about 181.5 km/h), traveled 414 feet (roughly 126.2 meters), and had a launch angle of 25 degrees.

This was Ohtani's sixth leadoff homer of the season and the 30th of his career. It also marked his second home run in his last three games since welcoming his second child.

In the top of the third, Ohtani grounded out to the pitcher in his second at-bat. He followed with a groundout to first base in the fifth, and then grounded into a double play to second base in the seventh.

With two outs and a runner on first in the top of the ninth, Ohtani was intentionally walked. For the game, he went 1-for-4 with one RBI and one walk.

Discussing the reason behind Ohtani's recent hot streak, Roberts analyzed, "He is doing a great job of recognizing the strike zone right now, especially not chasing low pitches out of the zone. That allows him to get into favorable counts and make high-quality swings. If he can keep doing that, nobody can match him."

Ohtani has long been known as "Mr. June," having hit seven home runs this month with a .350 batting average, .783 slugging percentage, and 13 RBIs.

When asked by a reporter if he knew Ohtani performed especially well in June, Roberts laughed and replied, "I didn't know he was particularly good in June." He then added, "But his performance since entering June has been truly special."

With today's win, the Dodgers improved to 50-29, becoming the first team in Major League Baseball this season to reach 50 victories.

Additionally, Dodgers right fielder Kyle Tucker left the game early in the top of the second inning due to lower back spasms. The team has not yet released details on the severity of Tucker's back issue.

Starting catcher Dalton Rushing took a foul tip to the face mask in the bottom of the first inning. He remained in the game to catch the first two innings and batted normally in the top of the second. However, backup catcher Chuckie Robinson replaced him in the bottom of the third.

The team stated that Rushing's removal was purely precautionary, allowing for further concussion evaluation and assessment. Results of the evaluation and whether he will enter the MLB concussion protocol have not yet been announced.