Following an uneven debut on the mound Saturday, Los Angeles Angels phenom Shohei Ohtani fared much better in his first start at designated hitter.
Slotted into the No. 2 spot for Monday's spring showdown against the San Diego Padres, Ohtani reached base in all three of his plate appearances at Peoria Stadium, drawing a pair of walks and notching an RBI single in the fifth inning before being lifted for a pinch runner.
Shohei Ohtani's hitting debut is done:
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) February 26, 2018
3 PA
2 BB
& this RBI single
No. 1 on the @Angels' Top 30 & @MLB #Top100Prospects list: https://t.co/TuTZgd5PTS pic.twitter.com/m4GpC2C6kf
"I was happy to get that first hit out of the way, but I was also happy with my first two at-bats," Ohtani told MLB.com's Maria Guardado through an interpreter. "I got to see a lot of pitches. I got to face a righty and a lefty. I feel like I put together pretty good at-bats in the first two walks."
Ohtani continued: "One of the reasons why I was able to see so many pitches in the first two at-bats was I wanted to feel the difference in the strike zones between Japan and the States. I feel like I accomplished that. Plus, there was a runner in scoring position, so I wanted to be aggressive on the first pitch."
Ohtani, who hit .332 with a .942 OPS in 231 plate appearances for the Nippon-Ham Fighters in 2017, is expected to receive semi-regular at-bats as a DH this year, though Angels manager Mike Scioscia indicated earlier this month that he'll get "the most looks as a pitcher."
