Will Shohei Ohtani play in Dodgers vs. Padres MLB spring training opener?

MLB spring training action is here. The Los Angeles Dodgers visit the San Diego Padres in the first game of the Cactus League season on Thursday, with L.A. taking a commanding 8-0 lead early. But the question remains whether Shohei Ohtani will play in this one.

Dodgers vs. Padres is the first game of this year's spring training season and the only one taking place on Thursday (3:10 p.m. ET, ESPN). Ahead of the game, the biggest question is whether $700-million-man Shohei Ohtani would take the field in Dodger Blue for the first time.

Ohtani, who won the American League MVP award unanimously for the second time last year, is working his way back from injury after suffering a torn UCL last August. The two-way player will only play as a designated hitter this season before returning to pitching duties again next year.

Los Angeles and San Diego will also play the first series of MLB's regular season: a two-game set in South Korea. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters Tuesday that offseason additions Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow will start those games.

Is Shohei Ohtani playing today?

No, Ohtani will not be playing in Thursday's game, he told reporters on Wednesday.

When will Shohei Ohtani play?

There is no current news about when Ohtani will make his Dodgers debut in spring training.

Ohtani told reporters that he's aiming to get to 50 total at-bats in spring training ahead of the Dodgers' March 20 regular-season opener. He said he feels that he has enough time to hit that mark without playing in the first game of spring training and is "trending in the right direction."

The reigning AL MVP noted that those 50 at-bats won't all come during games; he will count at-bats in live batting practice and off of a Dodgers' high-tech pitching machine as progress toward that goal.

Ohtani hit a home run during his first live spring training batting practice on Monday after hitting several home runs in his first batting practice since elbow surgery on Feb. 12. He has five at-bats in spring training so far, all in live batting practice sessions.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is Shohei Ohtani playing today in Dodgers-Padres spring training game