Yoshinobu Yamamoto may not have been at SoFi Stadium on Thursday night, but new Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani sure was.
It was Sho time on “Thursday Night Football” as the two-way sensation appeared on the field before the Rams’ matchup with the Saints.
The 2023 American League MVP was seen on the field during warmups and presented his own personalized No. 17 Rams jersey and held a football, seeming to mimic the mechanics of throwing.
Ohtani even met the Rams’ mascot, Rampage and posed for a photo with him while holding out his new Rams jersey.
A clip on the Prime Video broadcast showed Ohtani posing for a selfie with a fan.
As soon as he hit the field, Ohtani was mobbed by photographers on the sideline an hour before kickoff, Associated Press journalist Greg Beacham reported.
Rams wide receiver Ben Skowronek at one point jogged over to say hello to the new Dodgers designated hitter.
Skowronek shook Ohtani’s hand before heading back to prepare for the night’s game, a big one for the Rams.
At one point it looked as though Ohtani might give throwing a football a shot.
In footage captured by Prime Video, Ohtani tried gripping the ball and was given tips how a QB might throw the pigskin.
By the time the first quarter rolled around, Ohtani was seen in a suite with interpreter Ippei Mizuhara.
Stream the game live on Thursday night on Amazon Prime Video
Thursday’s game garnered more attention than usual after it had been rumored that Yamamoto would be at the game with Ohtani with a number of teams — including the Dodgers — pursuing the free agent Japanese pitcher.
The Post’s Jon Heyman dispelled those rumors, and the pitcher was not seen at the game.
Ohtani recently signed a record $700 million deal with the Dodgers after a hard push by a number of teams to get the generational talent.
Ohtani then made the unheard-of decision to defer 97 percent of the money until the end of the contract, allowing the Dodgers to go out and continue to build around him.
