Padres News: Dodgers sign former SD pitcher, Shohei Ohtani ready for Seoul Series?

The San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers will meet in Seoul, South Korea for this year's Major League Baseball opener. While it may not be Opening Day in the truest sense, it still counts as two of the Padres 162 games in 2024.

The 2024 Seoul Series is the start of the upcoming MLB campaign, and Padres and Dodgers will take center stage in the Gocheok Sky Dome on Wednesday, April 20, with the first pitch slated for 3:05 a.m. PT. That's right, Friars fans, get to bed early the night before.

Speaking of the Dodgers, former Padres pitcher Dinelson Lamet may be in the opposing dugout when the Padres step foot onto the diamond for the first time during the 2024 season. There's also a new division foe, Shohei Ohtani, who's scheduled to make his Dodgers debut during the Seoul Series.

Padres News: Dinelson Lamet signs MiLB deal with Dodgers

According Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Lamet signed a minor-league contract with the Dodgers and received an invite to spring training. Lamet spent most of last season with the Colorado Rockies and later pitched in one game for the Boston Red Sox.

Lamet's stats were atrocious last season. The former Padres pitcher appeared in 17 games, including four starts, and logged an 11.71 ERA and 2.35 WHIP. Lamet walked 22 batters in just over 27 innings of work.

The 31-year-old has spent almost his entire career in the NL West, with five of his six seasons wearing the brown and gold. Lamet was in the NL Cy Young conversation in 2020, but due to arm injuries, has barely logged over 100 innings since. He'll be battling for a roster spot in LA once spring training begins later this month.

Padres News: Shohei Ohtani on track for Seoul Series

Speaking of the Dodgers rotation, while Shohei Ohtani isn't going to see the mound this season, it appears as though he'll be in the starting lineup during the Seoul Series. While at Dodger Fest, Ohtani stated, though his translator, that he's, "already swinging close to 100%." Ohtani also said that if things continue as they have been, he expects to be ready to take the field for the Seoul Series.

While the Friar faithful were probably hopeful Ohtani would need a few extra reps in spring training before he was fully healthy for the upcoming season, it will certainly be a treat for the fans in Korea to see the best player in baseball take the field for the MLB opener in Seoul.

Ohtani signed a massive 10-year contract with the Dodgers this winter, and it's quite likely that he'll be a thorn in the Padres' side for the next decade. But at least the San Diego fanbase will only have to worry about Ohtani in the batters' box next season. The reigning AL MVP underwent elbow surgery in 2023 and won't be able to pitch until 2025.