Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani eases knee concerns with leadoff HR vs. White Sox

The shot was a no-doubter, leaving Ohtani's bat with a 109.6 mph exit velocity and traveling 409 feet. Per Baseball Savant, it would have been a home run in all 30 MLB ballparks.

Following the blast, the two-way great is slashing .307/.423/.557 this season with 14 home runs, including one in three consecutive games, while also allowing a 1.06 earned run average across 67.2 innings in 11 starts on the mound.

Ohtani is well on his way to becoming the first player to win four consecutive MVP awards since home run king Barry Bonds (2001-04). The only thing that could seemingly slow him down is his health, but the five-time All-Star showed his knee setback is far from serious enough to not only keep out of the lineup or from producing at an elite level.

No hitter has been hotter over the past month. Per FanGraphs, since May 12 — a span of 26 games entering Saturday — Ohtani had an unfathomable .412/.508/.753 slash line, and he continued on that torrid pace during his first at-bat against the White Sox. 

Less than 48 hours earlier, there were questions about the impact of his injury. Ohtani quickly shot down concerns over any lingering effects, continuing on an MVP trajectory that will take a lot more to derail.