The Dodgers held their official practice at Tokyo Dome on the 17th ahead of their opening series against the Cubs (18th and 19th).

Manager Dave Roberts said, "Many of the players said it was the best meal they've ever had," referring to a dinner hosted the night before by three Japanese players, Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki. "So all 31 players got together and had a great time together. It deepened the bond between the players and helped them become more united. It was a tremendous night for the players," he said, looking over the night with emotion.

Freeman was shown trying to eat sea urchin sushi, something he's not very good at, in a video posted on social media by Ohtani and others. Looking back on the night before, he said, "The sea urchin was amazing. It was just a great night."

The dinner included a tuna cutting demonstration, and afterwards, a commemorative photo was taken of Kike holding a tuna loin, all smiles. Betts, whose health had been a concern, appeared relaxed and smiled in the front row. Ohtani was in the back row near the center, Yamamoto in the row in front of him, and Sasaki was on the far right side of the photo.

In the posted video, Freeman was offered sea urchin sushi, which he doesn't like, and was cheered on by fellow players such as Kike, who said, "Good luck!" and "Let's go!" He took a bite. "...It's not bad, it's delicious," he said with a smile and open arms, which elicited applause and laughter from the crowd like "Oh...!".