Shohei Ohtani took the field at the Tokyo Dome to the roar of applause as a brief snippet of his walk-up song, "The Show Goes On" by Lupe Fiasco, played in the background. Never mind that Friday was just a workout day -- the excitement was real,

The influx of Japanese players on the Dodgers' roster has allowed the Okinawa-born Dave Roberts to reconnect with his background, and now he's poised to guide his team in a season-opening series in Tokyo.

The spotlight will be on slugger Shohei Ohtani when the superstar returns to Japan and leads the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers against the Chicago Cubs in the first two games of the Major League Baseball season at the Tokyo Dome.