​Tuesday’s game against the Colorado Rockies ended in a more frustrating fashion than Monday’s walk-off, but it began with a moment that instantly became one of the season’s standout highlights. Shohei Ohtani opened Tuesday’s contest by delivering a historic leadoff blast off Michael Lorenzen, marking not only his 25th leadoff homer as a Dodger but also the 300th home run of his major league career. Ohtani’s milestone makes him the lone Japanese-born player in MLB history with at least 300 home runs, and the bar he’s already crossed is well beyond the 200-home-run club as well.
With that 300th blast, Ohtani is now about 60 percent of the way toward his renowned target of 500 career homers. MLB.com’s Sonja Chen notes that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and the coaching staff are keen to see that momentous day arrive. “It was quite the homer,” Roberts said after the game. “It was squared up, got out in a hurry, and 300, he got there pretty quickly for us. I just marvel at him every day…” Even before Ohtani ascended to the 300-home-run milestone, the Dodgers were already envisioning loftier heights for him, with Roberts indicating that discussions frequently center on the “500 club.” “I mean, he just had a birthday,” Roberts observed. “Still young, still strong. So I definitely think 500 is in his future.”
Reaching 300 homers also made Ohtani the first Dodger this season to hit at least 20 homers, a milestone he has achieved in six straight seasons. Looking ahead to the Home Run Derby, only two participants had been announced at the time—Junior Caminero and Ben Rice. Ohtani isn’t new to the Derby, having competed for the Angels during the 2021 events at Coors Field in Denver. Yet for this year’s Dodgers, Roberts indicated the plan would likely exclude Ohtani from competing as a participant. “When you’re Shohei, he understands the responsibility he has,” Roberts explained. “So I do think there’s a middle ground for what’s best for him during the All-Star Game, with what potentially could be downside, but also what’s best for the game. So I don’t see him in the Home Run Derby. I don’t see him pitching. But I do see him taking an at-bat or two.”
On the mound, the Dodgers’ bullpen stole the show from another strong start by Justin Wrobleski, who dominated Colorado’s lineup with nine strikeouts over seven innings while allowing only one run. Wrobleski, reflecting on Tuesday’s setback, spoke with Kirsten Watson of SportsNet LA, offering a candid look at his breakout first half. “I think I’ve thrown the ball pretty well,” he said. “There’s always stuff you can nitpick and try to improve on, but for the most part, in the categories that I try to be good at, I’ve done a pretty good job. It’s just a matter of continuing to hammer those and to do what I need to do to be myself and hammer my strengths.”