Shohei Ohtani flashes readiness for season-opening series

Shohei Ohtani’s latest pitching outing Saturday looked a lot like his previous ones:

Rather uneven.

Facing minor leaguers in an intrasquad scrimmage, he worked into the equivalent of the sixth inning, giving up two runs on two hits, striking out five and walking five.

The Angels’ plan throughout the spring has been to have Ohtani pitch in the season-opening series in Oakland, probably in the third game.

Asked if he believes the rookie is now ready to start in the big leagues, manager Mike Scioscia said: “Let’s wait and see how he comes out of it. This was a great outing today, though.”

General manager Billy Eppler wouldn’t confirm any plans regarding Ohtani, though he expressed satisfaction in the right-hander getting his pitch count up to 85.

Eppler also said he liked what he saw of Ohtani’s split-finger pitch, which was an emphasis Saturday.

“He was able to achieve his objectives,” Eppler said. “He checked off a couple more boxes.”

As for Ohtani himself, he said he felt he had done everything necessary to be ready for the start of the season.

He said his only concerns are the same ones he felt annually in Japan, where, he explained, he never entered an opener feeling 100% certain of his readiness.

Ohtani, 23, was known for having so-so springs while playing in Nippon Professional Baseball’s Pacific League.

“I honestly don’t know what the people up there making the decisions think about me at this point,” he said from an interpreter. “I try not to think about that…It’s not really up to me.”

Ohtani’s velocity was down from previous points this spring, his fastball ranging in the low 90s. He reached as high as 98 during his most recent Cactus League appearance.

Ohtani said he believed the lower readings were the result of focusing on his breaking pitches, the Angels wanting him to concentrate on getting a better feel as he’s adjusting to the baseballs here.

“I think when he needed it, some guys got on base, you saw it pick up,” Scioscia said. “He’s fine as far as velocity.”

Ohtani’s performance improved as the game progressed. He got only two outs in each of the first two innings, his pitch count prompting the decision to end the innings early.

He had to face only three hitters in the third and retired six batters in a row during a stretch in the fourth and fifth.

“He definitely picked up as his outing went on,” Scioscia said. “He hit some important markers.”

Of Ohtani’s 85 pitches, 47 were strikes. He continued to battle command, throwing two wild pitches and hitting two batters.

For much of the spring, Ohtani has struggled locating his breaking balls in and around the strike zone. He said he was “very satisfied” with how his split-finger pitch felt by the end of his outing.

“Early on, yeah, he was a little bit erratic,” Scioscia said. “But he’s working on some things. He’ll be fine.”

Ohtani gave up a single on a high chopper over the third baseman and a hard-hit double into the right-center gap.

After allowing the first two batters to reach base in the fourth, he retired three straight, the final two by strikeout to strand runners at second and third.

“There were some things he’s working on that he’s trying to nail down, especially out of his bigger kick,” Scioscia said. “When it’s in sync, you saw it come out hot, and he had command of it.”

No matter what happens next, Ohtani will be pitching and hitting very soon in games that count. Scioscia said he also would be used during the Freeway Series as a designated hitter.

In his first big league camp, Ohtani appeared in two Cactus League contests as a pitcher and retired eight batters. As a hitter, he went three for 28 with nine strikeouts and three walks in Arizona.

“In a perfect world, I would have liked to face more major league hitters,” Ohtani said. “But, more than that, it was all about me making adjustments…It didn’t really matter who I faced.”

In the Angels’ regular Cactus League game later Saturday, Tyler Skaggs struggled while pitching into the fourth inning. He probably will start Friday in the second game against Oakland.

The left-hander, like so many of the Angels this spring, expressed confidence in Ohtani’s abilities and what he’ll do when things turn real.

“I don’t dig too deep into numbers,” Skaggs said. “Once you get on a big-league field, under the lights, in a big-league game, it’s a completely different ballgame than spring training…I think he’ll be OK.”

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Parker Bridwell, Matt Shoemaker and JC Ramirez , in that order, will start against the Dodgers in the Freeway Series that begins Sunday. Bridwell has been optioned to triple-A Salt Lake.

jmiller2929@yahoo.com