The Los Angeles Dodgers held their first official workout Saturday afternoon local time at Gocheok Sky Dome in advance of playing the San Diego Padres in the Seoul Series next week.
Overall, it was the Dodgers’ second visit to the stadium since arriving in South Korea. Manager Dave Roberts, Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman spoke with media prior to the team going through hitting and fielding drills to continue the process of acclimating themselves to not only the time change but the domed stadium.
Tyler Glasnow, the Dodgers’ Opening Day starter, also represented the team by helping provide instruction for a skills camp.
“It’s been exciting. It’s been great,” Roberts said of the experience in South Korea thus far. “I thought the travel was very seamless. Shohei slept 11 hours, James Outman slept seven hours. They led the team. But everyone feels good. Guys got out, it’s been a great welcome from the people in Seoul. We’re excited to play some baseball.”
Roberts said he only slept 4.5 hours on the Dodgers’ chartered flight from Glendale, Ariz., to Incheon International Airport but quickly managed to get on track.
“I had a great night’s sleep, so I am recharged, reset. I’m on Korean time right now. I’m good,” Roberts added.
As it stands the Dodgers historically have been in the spotlight, but public attention and pressure has multiplied tenfold this season with the additions of Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Glasnow.
A larger media presence at Camelback Ranch during Spring Training gave the Dodgers their first look at what to expect moving forward, and so too did a large contingent welcoming them at the airport.
“It’s certainly perspective. When we got to the airport there was a lot of fans, a lot of media, and our players are very excited about that,” Roberts said. “I just think it speaks to where the game of baseball is globally. I think the interest, the excitement for Major League Baseball is at an all-time high.
“And for the Dodgers to be one of the teams to represent Major League Baseball here in Seoul is quite the honor. When you have the great players that we have and you see the excitement, I think this is a sign of what’s to come for us when we go to play in other cities.”
Dodgers Seoul Series details
Prior to starting the 2024 season with the first MLB game ever played in South Korea, the Dodgers have a pair of exhibitions lined up.
They plan to rely on a bullpen game against the Kiwoom Heroes of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and Bobby Miller is starting against the Korean National team.
Dodgers exhibition games in South Korea are being played Sunday, March 17, at 12:07 p.m. local time (Saturday, March 16, at 8:07 p.m. PT) and Monday, March 18, at 7:07 p.m. (Sunday, March 17 at 3:07 p.m. PT).
Seoul Series games are both 3:05 a.m. PT starts on March 20 and 21. The Dodgers are the road team for Opening Day and switch to the home club for Thursday’s game.
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