Ohtani (elbow) will hit on the field Monday for the first time since he underwent an internal brace procedure in September, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.
Ohtani said last week that he's been swinging the bat at around 100 percent effort and he'll now get to test things out against live pitching. The Dodgers plan to ease Ohtani into workouts during spring training, but the full expectation is that he'll be ready to serve as the designated hitter when the club opens up its season March 20 in South Korea. Per Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com, manager Dave Roberts said at the Dodgers' Feb. 3 Fan Fest event that he has penciled Ohtani in as the team's No. 3 hitter during the upcoming season.