Shohei Ohtani on stepping up unexpectedly: My physical condition is improving, and it's normal for my rhythm to be disrupted.

Shohei Ohtani was called upon today to start against the Orioles, pitching 3.2 scoreless innings with a top speed of 101.5 mph (about 163.3 km/h). In a postgame interview, he mentioned that his physical state is getting better.

With Dodgers’ originally scheduled starter Tyler Glasnow unable to pitch due to back tightness, Ohtani spoke about stepping in on short notice: “Fortunately, I had some intense throwing drills yesterday, and when I woke up today I felt good physically. I got the call around 2 p.m. local time, felt ready to pitch, so I said yes.”

Having previously missed a start due to a cold, Ohtani revealed he is nearly fully recovered. “My condition is much better than when I was in Pittsburgh. The first two games there were really tough, but today I didn’t feel that way.”

Regarding the game’s early signs being called by rookie catcher Dalton Rushing before shifting to Ohtani’s lead, Ohtani explained: “Although we had a meeting beforehand, the communication might not have been thorough enough, which caused some mismatches between the pitches and signals during the game. I think that’s the reason.”

When asked if the sudden start would affect his adjustments, Ohtani said: “This kind of situation is bound to happen over a long season. Last time, I couldn’t start because I wasn’t feeling well, and Emmet Sheehan took over. It’s normal; you can’t think it’s bad just because the usual rhythm is broken. You have to accept the disruption and go out there with the mindset of ‘just pitch as is.’”