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Dodgers’ $17 Million Bust Has Words About Playing With Shohei Ohtani

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jake Elman | Last updated Jun 2, 2025 10:27 AM ET

Veteran Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Michael Conforto has spent nearly every day of the last four months with two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani.

Clearly, Conforto isn’t rushing for a night away, not when Ohtani is amid another historic season.

“You don’t want to miss any of his at-bats,” Conforto said.

Who could blame Conforto? Ohtani ended the weekend hitting .293 with a NL-high 22 home runs, a 1.045 OPS, and 3.0 bWAR for the division-leading Dodgers.

Incredibly, Ohtani’s .655 slugging percentage is higher than last year’s .646. The three-time MVP has added nine doubles, four triples, and 11 stolen bases, positioning him for a second straight 30-30 season.

Why, then, would Conforto want to miss even a single second that Ohtani is at the plate?

“You want to be in the dugout,” Conforto explained, via USA Today. “You want to see it in person. That’s kind of what it is being his teammate. You want to be there.”

Unfortunately for Conforto, his days alongside Ohtani could be numbered. The veteran left fielder owns a .173 average and -0.6 bWAR through 198 plate appearances, and he’s no longer an everyday player.

Conforto hit only .194 with a single home run and four RBI over 89 May plate appearances. He’s on a one-year, $17 million contract that makes him a realistic trade or release candidate.

If Conforto’s Dodgers tenure is indeed almost over, he can at least take solace in the fact that he watched Ohtani up close for a third of the season. That’s far better than any of us can ever hope to achieve!

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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