Mark Whicker: Ohtani thriving at plate with Dodgers, but should he pitch again?

“Like most players who leave Anaheim, Shohei Ohtani has thrived.

Thriving is not something that’s automatic after you’ve already won two MVP awards, because the threshold of thriving is already at 30,000 feet. Yet Ohtani, as a Dodger, is hitting .364 with a .676 slugging percentage, a 1.108 OPS, a 211 OPS-plus (compared with the league average), 12 home runs, 16 doubles, and 63 hits, as of Wednesday night. The averages are all career highs, and the batting average is 60 points better than his previous high, set last season in his farewell to Orange County.”

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Jordan Woods makes the long, long trek to mound in KC Royals' system

“With a commitment to East Tennessee State on the table, Jordan Woods seemed destined to head south in the fall of 2022.

A product of the Terriers and the Junior National Team, Woods (Oakville, Ont.) saw things take a turn.

Before the 2022 draft, Woods underwent Tommy John surgery and switched his sights from college to pro ball in the blink of an eye.

After the July draft, he signed as a free agent with the Kansas City Royals, had elbow surgery and then rehabbed. And rehabbed. And rehabbed. He did not pitch in 2022 and did not pitch during 2023. Woods made his return to live action with his first in-game pitches Thursday night in Surprise, Ariz.”

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