Shohei Ohtani quickly attracts big following on Instagram

Los Angeles – Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani made a splash on social media Thursday with the launch of an official Instagram account, instantly gaining a large number of followers.

The Los Angeles Angels two-way sensation announced his arrival on the photo sharing site with a sense of humor, posting a video of himself being pranked by teammates following his first major league home run in April 2018.

The clip shows Ohtani trying to grab the attention of teammates who pretend not to see him in the dugout, accompanied by the English caption, "Hope my welcome to Instagram party goes better than this."

Ohtani began following the Instagram accounts of several of his Angels teammates on Thursday, while amassing tens of thousands of followers of his own within hours of his first post.

The 25-year-old, who underwent Tommy John surgery on his throwing arm in late 2018, has reportedly made strong progress toward taking the mound when Major League Baseball returns after delaying its season due to the coronavirus.

MLB and its players are continuing negotiations to start the 2020 season, with owners targeting an Opening Day in July.

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