Shohei Ohtani Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Many Los Angeles Dodgers fans were hoping to see superstar Shohei Ohtani make his team debut during their spring training game against the San Diego Padres on Thursday, but it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen.

Shohei Ohtani did not participate in batting practice this week as he continues to recover from elbow surgery, and Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced some pretty brutal news about his status, revealing that Ohtani’s spring training debut is on hold.

“He’s a lot further along than I think any of us — maybe not named Shohei — would have expected,” Roberts said Saturday according to ESPN. “He’s worked really hard, very diligent in his work, so he’s ahead of schedule.

“What that means as far as when he’s going to play in a Cactus League game, I don’t know that answer. But it just seems like every single day, he keeps [getting] better and feels real good.”

Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers back in December in what was a record $700 million, 10-year deal with the team. Obviously, fans are anxious to see their new player in action, but it sounds like they’re just going to have to wait a while longer.

[ESPN]