Hosts pay price for underwhelming batting effort as Superchargers cruise home with 18 balls to spare

ECB Media20-Aug-2025

Zak Crawley guided Superchargers’ chase with an unbeaten 55•Getty Images

Northern Superchargers returned to winning ways under the lights at Lord’s to romp home past hosts London Spirit and climb to third in the table in The Hundred men’s competition.Zak Crawley took most of the plaudits for 38-ball 55, but it was a batting effort that owed a debt of gratitude to his colleagues with the ball – the Superchargers attack impressing as they limited Spirit to just 135 for 3 batting first.The win takes Superchargers to 16 points, level on points with defending champions Oval Invincibles and Trent Rockets, with a gap threatening to open up underneath fourth-placed Southern Brave on 12 as the race for qualification hots up.The Lord’s faithful might have hoped to see a performance from Aussie superstar David Warner but it wasn’t his night, departing for a four-ball duck. Jamie Smith and Ollie Pope scored 41 and 52 respectively but no Spirit batter was able to get away and really open their arms, and at the interval the visitors would have fancied their chances of chasing down the total.Crawley lay a marker down immediately, demonstrating his class against Dan Worrall’s opening salvo with a couple of stand-and-deliver boundaries through the off-side and that was much the story of the reply, with Spirit never able to build sufficient pressure with the ball.It was left to Crawley’s captain Harry Brook to slap the winning runs over mid-on, with 18 balls still remaining, to signal a comfortable win and keep Superchargers right in the hunt for qualification.Meerkat Match Hero Crawley said: “It was an important game for us to get a win tonight, so the boys are very pleased with that win and it was a good all-round performance.”I try and keep the fundamentals the same whether playing red-ball or white-ball cricket and then maybe premeditate a little bit more in white-ball cricket than I would in a red-ball game, but I try and play similar shots. I think that’s what I’ve done a bit better this year than I have done in previous years.”When you’ve got great players coming behind you, you can just be a bit free at the top and today it wasn’t as easy after the powerplay. It felt good in the powerplay – really good – and then definitely got harder. So it was nice to have that cushion behind with those boys coming in.”I’m surprised to be standing here, to be honest, I thought Rash [Adil Rashid] would be the Meerkat Match Hero. He bowled unbelievably tonight and so did all the other lads to keep them to 140. We felt like we could chase that and it definitely got easier under lights.”

أعرب الدولي الإسباني لامين يامال، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة عن سعادته باللعب على ملعب “كامب نو” بعدما تم تجديده.

ومن المقرر أن يواجه برشلونة نظيره أتلتيك بلباو، السبت المقبل الموافق 22 من شهر نوفمبر الحالي، في إطار منافسات الدوري الإسباني.

وخضع ملعب “كامب نو” منذ فترة لعمليات إصلاح وتجديد، وابتعد برشلونة عن خوض مبارياته عليه، واستبدله بملعبي “يوهان كرويف”، و”مونتجويك”.

وخاض برشلونة هذا الموسم مبارياته في الدوري الإسباني ودوري أبطال أوروبا على ملعبي “مونتجويك” و”يوهان كرويف”.

اقرأ أيضًا | لابورتا يوضح رأيه في مساندة تشافي لمنافسه على رئاسة برشلونة

وأعرب لامين يامال عن سعادته واشتياقه باللعب على ملعب كامب نو مرة أخرى من خلال نشر صورة له على موقع التواصل الاجتماعي “انتسجرام”.

وكتب لامين يامال: “كان مونتجويك بمثابة البداية، أما كامب نو فهو المكان الذي سيُكتب فيه التاريخ”.

لامين يامال لم يلعب سوى مباراة واحدة على ملعب كامب نو في 29 إبريل 2023 في فوز برشلونة الكبير على حساب ريال بيتيس برباعية نظيفة.

The Bangladesh selectors have recalled wicketkeeper-batter Nurul Hasan and allrounder Saif Hassan in the senior men’s squad for the Asia Cup next month. There was however no place for Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Mohammad Naim, who were both part of the Bangladesh side that beat Pakistan 2-1 last month.The same 16-member squad will play in the three-match T20I series against the Netherlands starting on August 30. Mehidy would have missed the Netherlands matches due to personal reasons, but he also lost his place for the Asia Cup. Mehidy, the new ODI captain, returned to the T20I side after Bangladesh’s 2-1 defeat against UAE, but didn’t make a big impact. He has been named among the four standby players.Bangladesh squad for Asia Cup•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Naim couldn’t convert his domestic T20 form into international runs. He had scores of 32*, 3 and 10 in the three T20Is against Pakistan. Naim also didn’t perform well enough for Bangladesh A side in the Top End T20s in Darwin, Australia.Nurul’s last T20I was in the World Cup in 2022, when he made just 41 runs in five innings. He gained better form during the 2024-25 season in which he scored 513 runs at a strike rate of 132.90 across the Bangladesh Premier League, National Cricket League and the Global Super League. The 31-year-old Nurul had also led Rangpur Riders to the inaugural GSL title in 2024.Both Nurul and Saif are playing the Top End T20s. Saif struck a half-century against the Pakistan Shaheens, and 45 against the Melbourne Stars Academy. Nurul got couple of thirties in the five matches.Related

• No Babar, Rizwan in Pakistan squad for Asia Cup

• Vikramjit back in Netherlands squad for Bangladesh T20Is

• Asia Cup: India-Pakistan set to go ahead after Indian government clarifies stance

Soumya Sarkar, Tanvir Islam and Hasan Mahmud are the others on the standby list.Bangladesh will play the three T20Is against Netherlands on August 30, and September 1 and 3. Their Asia Cup campaign starts against Hong Kong in Abu Dhabi on September 11.

Bangladesh squad for Asia Cup and Netherlands T20Is:

Litton Das (capt, wk), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Saif Hassan, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Shamim Hossain, Nurul Hasan, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Mohammad SaifuddinIN: Saif Hassan, Nurul Hasan
OUT: Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mohammad Naim

Leeds United need to pick up wins in the Premier League, and fast.

The Whites’ clash with Nottingham Forest this weekend already feels like a pivotal clash when judging their campaign’s narrative so far, with another defeat pushing them closer to the relegation zone, after stumbling to a horrible 3-0 loss against Brighton and Hove Albion.

If the defeats keep piling up, Leeds could dismiss Daniel Farke, even after all his promotion heroics, with Liam Rosenior allegedly already being looked at as one possible replacement.

He can save his skin for another day if he steers Leeds to a victory at the City Ground, with the German surely tempted to drop Brenden Aaronson for this vital showdown, who is struggling to hit consistent form in the Premier League.

Aaronson's ongoing Premier League struggles

If you sat someone down and played them Aaronson’s highlight reel from Leeds’ recent 2-1 home success against West Ham United in isolation, they would surely think the American was a well-established Premier League star.

Indeed, Aaronson put in a man-of-the-match-worthy showing against Nuno Espirito Santo’s men, as a rare top-flight goal came his way.

On top of that, he also won eight ground duels, completed all three of his dribbles, and notched up two key passes for his troubles. Safe to say, he was a thorn in West Ham’s side all night long.

That’s what makes his no-show performance against Brighton the match directly after his West Ham display so much more bewildering, as Aaronson receded into his shell with zero shots or zero dribbles registered.

However, to the hardened Leeds regulars, this isn’t the greatest shock to see such a notable dip in form, with ex-Leeds player Jon Newsome once calling out Aaronson for being “lightweight” when occasionally ducking away from challenges and tussles.

Also said to not be “good enough” to be a regular at the top level by Newsome, which is backed up by that meagre one goal being his only meaningful goal contribution so far this season, he could be dropped for Leeds’ next crunch tie against Sean Dyche’s Tricky Trees.

Aaronson’s PL record
Stat	Aaronson
Games played	46
Minutes played	3024 mins
Goals scored	3
Assists	2
Sourced by Transfermarkt

Regularly falling victim to goalless displays in the EFL, too, Aaronson now looks to be on borrowed time as a Premier League must for Farke.

He isn’t the only figure who massively underwhelmed at the Amex, though.

Once "indispensable" Leeds star is also on borrowed time

Unfortunately, the cruel beast of the top division is sometimes a hard one to adjust to.

Thankfully, Joe Rodon has taken to his new, daunting environment well, after being in Farke’s XI week in, week out in the Championship, with two goals already collected. Fellow Welshman, Ethan Ampadu, on the other hand, has been up and down so far since promotion was sealed.

The Leeds captain is, arguably, a victim of his own success in Farke’s current set-up, with Ampadu judged as an “indispensable” part of Leeds’ midfield when promotion was being eyed up, according to talent scout Jacek Kulig.

His numbers back that up, too, with the Wales international making 4.4 ball recoveries and winning 5.1 duels on average last season, when injuries weren’t stopping him in his tracks. Rodon would manage just 4.0 and 4.3, on the contrary.

Yet, even such a well-recognised part of the German’s lineup is prone to an off-display here and there, too, as the former Chelsea man experienced away at the Seagulls.

Ampadu would only win 50% of his duels against Fabian Hurzeler’s men, with the Brighton boss perhaps even enraged that Ampadu wasn’t sent off when taking out two-goal sensation Diego Gomez in the second half, as the usually assured presence of the number four was nowhere to be seen.

With Anton Stach now at the ex-Norwich City manager’s disposal, who has won 4.7 duels this season in the Premier League – which trumps Ampadu’s own count of 4.4 – Farke might be prepared to drop Ampadu here and there for other midfield stars to shine.

After all, with his poor injury record also seeing him miss three games this season already, it’s clear that this depth will need to be utilised, with Ampadu arguably not one of the first names on the teamsheet, like he used to be.

Rarely-seen Leeds talent could be a surprise Aaronson replacement

Daniel Farke could soon surprisingly throw this Leeds United academy gem into the first team.

1

By
Kelan Sarson

Nov 4, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

O Corinthians chegou para a partida contra o Grêmio desacreditado por muitos jornalistas e casas de apostas. Porém, assim como na vitória contra o Cuiabá, o Timão quebrou a banca e conseguiu três pontos surpreendentes fora de casa contra o Imortal. O fato do Alvinegro chegar como “azarão” foi usado de motivação pelo técnico Mano Menezes aos jogadores.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasBotafogoVictor Sá lamenta resultado, mas segue acreditando em título do Botafogo no BrasileirãoBotafogo12/11/2023BotafogoNos acréscimos, Botafogo sofre empate do Bragantino e perde a liderança do Brasileirão após 31 rodadasBotafogo12/11/2023BrasileirãoEm jogo com duas expulsões, Corinthians vence o Grêmio e fica próximo de evitar o rebaixamento no BrasileirãoBrasileirão12/11/2023

+ Tudo sobre o Timão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Corinthians

– Para nós significa muito. É a segunda vez, em um jogo fora de casa, que quebramos a banca das casas de apostas. Os prognósticos em Cuiabá e em Porto Alegre eram 100% para os mandantes. Guardei as fotos e mostrei aos jogadores, essas coisas fazem parte da preparação. Se não tivéssemos pontuado aqui algumas equipes poderiam ficar a um ponto de nós, e isso cria uma pressão maior ainda – disse Mano durante entrevista coletiva.

Mano evitou comentar sobre as polêmicas de arbitragem na partida, reconheceu que a expulsão de Bruno Méndez foi justa, mas disse que a não marcação de pênalti em Bidu condicionou a partida do Corinthians na Arena do Grêmio.

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– A arbitragem começou mal. Ao não dar uma penalidade máxima unanime, tem as consequências disso. Ficamos com dez pela expulsão justa do Bruno, mas se estabeleceu uma outra realidade para o jogo. O time que também queria jogar se coloca em um grau de dificuldade precisa segurar mais o jogo – destacou o treinador corintiano.

+ Veja tabela e simule os jogos do Timão no Brasileirão

O Corinthians chegou aos 44 pontos e está próximo de garantir a permanência na Série A. Mesmo assim, Mano Menezes evitou fazer projeções para 2024, pediu pés no chão e concentração para o duelo contra o Bahia, após a Data Fifa.

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– Não podemos projetar 2024, se a conta é 45, 46, ainda não atingimos a meta mínima. Não podemos relaxar. Temos o Bahia depois da Data Fifa, uma equipe que está perto de nós. Vamos aproveitar a vitória para que ela nos dê confiança e nos ajude a resolver essa questão logo para pensarmos no futuro – ponderou Mano.

Will Smale’s first Glamorgan hundred not enough as Surrey get over the line

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay13-Aug-2025Will Smale scored the first hundred of his professional cricket career but as Glamorgan, the Metro Bank One-Day Cup’s reigning champions, still lost to a Ben Foakes-inspired Surrey in a rain-shortened affair.Smale, a 24-year-old from Newport playing his 15th List A match, finished on 105 not out from 106 balls and was chiefly responsible for Glamorgan reaching a 50-over total of 308 for 7 at The Kia Oval.But Foakes, captaining Surrey after Ryan Patel turned his ankle in the pre-match warm-ups, smashed 43 not out from just 17 balls and was joined by Josh Blake in an extraordinary stand of 77 in six overs that snatched the game away from Glamorgan.Heavy rain forced a delay of two hours and twenty minutes after Surrey had made 21 for 1 from 5.1 overs. That resulted in a revised target of 146 in 16 overs, following Duckworth-Lewis-Stern calculations and a 5.50pm restart, meaning 125 more runs were needed in 10.5 remaining overs.It looked a stiff task but, with 40 still needed from the last three overs, Foakes hit leg-side sixes off Kiran Carlson and Andy Gorvin – after Blake had also struck Carlson for a maximum to long-on.With eight only now required from the final over, Blake hit the first ball for four before being bowled for 27 by Dan Douthwaite’s third ball. And then, in a slightly farcical finish, Douthwaite bowled a high leg-side no-ball, giving new batsman Cameron Steel a free hit. And when he hit high to deep mid-wicket, from another no-ball, Surrey had won with three balls to spare.Will Smale hit his first Glamorgan hundred•Getty ImagesPut in by Surrey, the Welsh county initially stuttered to 213 for 6 in the 39th over before Smale was joined by Alex Horton in a superb seventh-wicket partnership of 86 in ten overs. Wicketkeeper-batsman Horton, 21 and with just 18 previous white-ball appearances behind him, contributed a jaunty 35 from 30 balls while Smale pressed the accelerator in impressive style at the other end.There were three sixes and seven fours eventually in Smale’s first score of 50 or more in List A cricket, with fast bowler James Taylor and legspinning allrounder Steel bearing the brunt of his late assault.For most of Glamorgan’s innings, however, it seemed as if a predominantly youthful and inexperienced Surrey bowling attack was doing a fine job of working their way through a strong-looking batting line-up.Slow-arm spinner Yousuf Majid might have finished wicketless but he conceded only 41 runs from his ten overs across several spells while fast bowlers Nathan Barnwell and Alex French took 3 for 55 and 2 for 49 respectively.Barnwell had both Sam Northeast (24) and Carlson (25) caught at the wicket before later seeing Zain ul-Hassan lift a straightforward catch to mid-on, while 18-year-old rookie French put the embarrassment of bowling multiple wides in his opening over with the new ball to have Eddie Byrom caught for 9 in his second.French, playing his second List A game, also removed Asa Tribe for 16 in the 12th over and Glamorgan were in danger of underachieving when Douthwaite edged a legcutter from Taylor to give keeper Blake the third of his four catches.Smale and Horton, though, built their stand with steady accumulation at first and then explosive acceleration, with Surrey’s bowlers seemingly powerless to prevent 91 runs being plundered from the final ten overs of the innings.Rory Burns, inside-edging to keeper Horton as he jumped down the pitch on 12 to seamer Ul-Hassan, was an early Surrey casualty and after the restart there was a steady fall of wickets in a frantic finale.Nikhil Gorantla and Ollie Sykes fell swiping – Sykes after two powerful straight fours off Gorvin – and Adam Thomas took 21 off slow left-armer Romano Franco’s only over, including successive blows of 4, 4, 6, 6 before being spectacularly caught diving backwards at long-off by Carlson off Gorvin for 34.

Luis Diaz's wonder goal against Union Berlin at the weekend has been labelled "world-class" by Bayern Munich icon Lothar Matthaus. The Colombian, signed from Liverpool over the summer, has been brilliant for Die Roten so far. While Matthaus believes that the hard-working left winger "needs to be more clinical in front of goal," he said that his "outstanding" strike compensates for his lack of efficiency.

Union Berlin end Bayern's winning streak

Bayern were brought down to earth this past weekend during a tricky away trip to Union Berlin at the Stadion An der Alten Forsterei, as Kompany's men could only salvage a 2-2 draw, thanks to a 90th minute equaliser from the in-form Harry Kane. 

The game brought an end to the Bavarian giants' record-breaking 16-game winning streak across all competitions since the start of the ongoing 2025-26 season, breaking the 13-game record set by the famous AC Milan outfit from the 1992-93 season. The result also prevented Kompany from matching Pep Guardiola's record of 10 consecutive Bundesliga victories in the first 10 games of the season, with the Belgian managing to guide his team to nine straight wins before the stalemate against Steffen Baumgart's men.

Even though Bayern left Berlin without maximum points, they certainly came out of the match with a few positives. For a team that has dominated on all fronts across all competitions, the encounter against Union Berlin allowed the visitors to equalise twice following goals from centre-back Danilho Doekhi in each half.

AdvertisementAFPMatthaus lauds Diaz for being the overall package

With Bayern trailing, they tightened the screw and switched gears in search of an equaliser as the game progressed towards the end of the first half. In the 38th minute, Diaz collected the ball on the edge of the box on the left side following a clearance. After collecting the ball, the Colombian passed it to Josip Stanisic and then made a run into the box to receive after a one-two. Stanisic seemed to have overhit the ball, his hands on his head out of disappointment as he saw the ball moving beyond the touchline. Just when it seemed Union Berlin would be awarded a goal kick, Diaz slid and somehow kept the ball into play. After sensing pressure from one of Berlin's defenders, the ex-Liverpool winger's daft touch put the ball past the on-rushing defender before striking into the top corner from an extremely acute angle. 

Moments after his equaliser, Diaz fumbled a one-on-one with the Union Berlin goalkeeper. However, former Bayern player Matthaus is of the firm opinion that the Colombian international shouldn't find himself in the crosshairs of the fans and the media thanks to his work ethic and profound ability to create goals out of nothing.

In a column for , Matthaus said: "After 16 consecutive wins, FC Bayern only managed a draw against Union Berlin . Refocusing completely on the Bundesliga and a match at the comparatively smaller Forsterei stadium after their stunning Champions League victory in Paris wasn't easy.

"Their senses might not have been sharp enough at the start, but Bayern came back from behind twice. That was yet another sign of strength.

"Luis Diaz 's goal was world-class. It's great to have a player who works hard for the team, scores goals, and creates clear-cut chances. He needs to be more clinical in front of goal, but his outstanding strike makes him forgivable."

A week to remember for Diaz

It was a memorable week for the 28-year-old. He scored twice in the 2-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes to maintain their perfect record in the Champions League. Against Union Berlin, his goal automatically makes him one of the contenders for the goal of the season.

After the game, Kane was in awe of Diaz's "special" strike. "Incredible to be honest," said the Englishman, who now has 23 goals from 17 games. "The way he kept the ball in and got past his defender and then score was, just a special goal, a really, really special goal. He's been pulling stuff out like that all season but I reckon that's probably his best."

Kompany, the head coach, admitted that Diaz could have bagged another goal, but stated that he was happy for him. ”We really needed that moment of brilliance from Lucho”, Kompany told reporters after the full-time whistle. “Of course he could’ve scored another goal afterwards, but the quality we have in this team is what we need to achieve our goals during the season. 3 goals he’s scored this week, that was good for him.”

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Getty ImagesDiaz to miss Arsenal clash in the Champions League

Bayern will face Freiburg in their first match following the international break, before traveling to the Emirates Stadium for a high-profile clash with Arsenal. Mikel Arteta’s side have emerged as frontrunners in the Premier League title race this season, combining domestic dominance with impressive form in Europe.

Bayern will, however, be without their in-form winger when they make the trip to London – a significant setback for Kompany’s men. Diaz, who has tallied 11 goals and five assists this season, received a straight red card for a reckless challenge on PSG full-back Achraf Hakimi, which left the Moroccan defender nursing an ankle injury. As a result, Diaz will serve a suspension and miss the chance to face his former rivals in a familiar territory.

Arsenal went on a record-setting winning run of form in the month of October, not conceding a single goal while winning six games in all competitions.

The Gunners’ dominance has been founded on one of the best defences in Premier League history, as David Raya has had to pick the ball out of his net just three times so far this season, a rate that if it continues will see them break Chelsea’s record for goals conceded in a single Premier League season.

Gabriel Magalhães has drawn PFA Player of the Year shouts in recent weeks, while Raya is chasing yet another golden glove and Jurrien Timber is emerging as one of the best right-backs in world football.

What is Chelsea's record and can Arsenal beat it?

Chelsea’s 2004-05 team led by Jose Mourinho conceded just 15 goals in a 38-game Premier League season. Arsenal have so far conceded three times in nine games, which at 0.33 per game would total between 12-13 goals, but it’s not that simple…

The AI supercomputer gave three scenarios for Arsenal’s final total, taking into account fatigue, injuries, game states and the possibility of other teams adapting to their style of play.

It also concluded that fine margins – such as individual errors or controversial decisions – will add up over the course of a season.

Another factor harming their efforts may just be their own brilliance. Arsenal are predicted to win the Premier League by a whopping 13 points, which would mean they have games at the end of the season with little to play for other than this record. For context, Liverpool failed to win all four of their remaining matches after wrapping up the title last season, conceding nine goals in that time.

Best case

13–14 goals

Arsenal sustain current defensive dominance and stay injury-free

Most likely

17–19 goals

Small regression due to fixture congestion and natural variance

Worst case

25–27 goals

Defensive injuries, fatigue, or tactical shifts increase vulnerability slightly

Predicted total: Arsenal will concede 18 goals in the 2025-26 Premier League season

Given the likelihood that Arsenal progress far in several competitions – they are currently fourth in the Champions League table and still alive in both domestic cup competitions – it is likely that fatigue and injuries will affect their ability to keep clean sheets later in the season.

Arsenal’s squad depth has been an issue in recent seasons, falling behind Manchester City in the 2022-23 campaign after they lost William Saliba to injury, but Bukayo Saka has hailed the level of the current group after more than £250million was spent in the summer.

“This year I feel we’re a very strong group and we’ve got a lot of quality. We’ve suffered already a lot of injuries, but the players that have come in have shown that we can all keep the level at the highest,” said the England international.

“I think that’s where we’ve slipped off in a few seasons, but this season, we’ve got that and it’s making me really believe we can do it.”

Supercomputer predicts every 2025/26 Premier League game and final table

Look away now, Liverpool fans…

ByTom Cunningham Oct 28, 2025

Paul Skenes was a guest on Late NIght with Seth Meyers on Tuesday night. Skenes, the Pittsburgh Pirates star pitcher, was there to promote MLB The Show 25 on the day it was announced he was one of the three cover athletes along with Elly De La Cruz and Gunnar Henderson.

Meyers made sure to cover a number of topics during the interview, including, but not limited to the 11-year old who recently found Skenes's one-of-one rookie card (which Meyers really wants to see), his stoic meme from when he won rookie of the year, the though process behind his mustache and even his relationship with Livvy Dunne.

Meyers showed the clip of Skenes messing around on gymnastics equipment and he ended up finding out that was actually a rather frustrating experience for the professional athlete. Not because it was embarrassing, but because he couldn't get out of that foam pit.

“The ball pit was genuine frustration," said Skenes. "I was genuinely pissed off. Those things are like ten feet deep. I’m tall, I’m not that tall. I’m just trying to throw the balls out, trying to get out. There’s nothing to grab onto."

Meyers joked that he must have been in there for hours, but Skenes reiterated his exasperation. "I was working up a sweat in the middle of November. It was pretty frustrating.”

So there you have it. Before you consider dating a gymnast keep in mind that they might encourage you to jump in a foam pit and it will be very difficult to get out. No matter how nice your mustache might be.

Shohei Ohtani served exclusively as a designated hitter during his first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, something that will change in year two when he's anticipated to return to the mound.

As for when he'll be ready to make his pitching debut for the reigning World Series champs, that much remains a bit unclear. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts addressed Ohtani's return to the starting rotation on Monday, telling reporters at the winter meetings that it was "very unlikely" the 30-year-old would be ready to take the mound by Opening Day.

The Dodgers' Opening Day series for the 2025 season will be played in Japan and gets underway on March 18, a two-game series against the Chicago Cubs at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo. While Roberts says Ohtani will likely not be ready to pitch, he’s confident that he’ll still be able to play in the games at DH.

“I expect Shohei to be ready to hit in Japan,” Roberts said. “I don’t think he’d have it any other way. That’s our expectation.”

Roberts added that Ohtani’s return to the mound was a tricky one, as the team doesn’t want to lose him as a hitter while he amps up his preparations as a pitcher.

“I think the question is when he starts pitching In major league games, and how we build him up prior to that,” Roberts said. “I don’t see it as a minor league rehab situation. We’ve got to kind of be nimble with that one.”

Ohtani last pitched in an MLB game on Aug. 23, 2023. He underwent elbow surgery that September, which kept him off the mound for all of the '24 campaign. He's made 86 pitching appearances in his career, recording a 3.01 ERA with 608 strikeouts in 481 2/3 innings.