Shohei Ohtani pitched 4.1 scoreless innings in his first spring training appearance; for the new season, he will pitch with five days of rest between starts and will not forcibly shorten the interval.

Japanese two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers made his first start in a preseason game against the San Francisco Giants today, performing quite impressively. Regarding the starting rotation arrangement for this season, Ohtani stated that he will pitch according to a plan with five or six days of rest between starts and can adjust flexibly if necessary.

Ohtani returned to the team after playing with Japan in the Classic and completed his first pitching assignment of this year's spring training today. He pitched 4.1 innings, threw 61 pitches, recorded 4 strikeouts, allowed 2 walks and 1 hit-by-pitch, was only hit by 1 single, and his fastest pitch reached 99.9 mph.

Regarding today's pitching performance, Ohtani said that although it was his first actual game appearance this year, because he continued live batting practice during the Classic, his pitching felt natural without the discomfort of a "first appearance." "Overall, being able to build up pitch count was the biggest gain today." He also admitted that he hopes to increase strikeouts after getting two strikes next, "That is the next step to improve."

Speaking about the transition from the intensive schedule of the Classic to spring training, Ohtani believes that for field players, the Classic has more practical value, allowing them to experience the game atmosphere, and has positive effects for early international competitions. Although the preparation time was tight, it was not entirely negative.

Regarding the pitching rotation arrangement, he stated that he will start according to a plan with five or six days of rest between starts and can adjust flexibly if necessary; the primary goal is to ensure the entire team enters the playoffs in healthy condition.

Regarding the number of appearances throughout the year, Shohei Ohtani said that starting pitchers, besides accumulating appearances and innings, also need to maintain rotation rhythm, and sustaining it until the end of the season is very difficult, so adapting flexibly is the best strategy.

Speaking about the relationship between accumulating innings and the Cy Young Award, Ohtani believes: "Accumulating innings indeed increases the chance of approaching the Cy Young Award, but I will not forcibly shorten the interval between appearances to pursue the award. The primary goal remains the team's health; if the number of pitchers decreases or someone gets injured, then innings would increase, and adjustments will be made according to the situation."