Roughed up in start Saturday Ohtani pitched 2.1 innings against the White Sox in a Cactus League contest Saturday, allowing five runs on six hits and one walk while striking out four. Impact Ohtani looked good in the first frame, allowing one hit but striking out two batters. Things fell apart in the second, however, as Ohtani allowed five straight hitters to reach base before being pulled for a reliever. He ended up being charged with five runs in the frame, then came back out for the third inning (modified spring training rules allow such a move to take place) and got two outs before calling it a day. While the right-hander's outing certainly wasn't pretty, the good news is that he emerged from the appearance feeling fine, per Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com, and touched 99 mph with his fastball. Ohtani's ability to throw heat this spring is encouraging given his recent arm issues, and he has now struck out nine batters over four total innings. Fantasy managers looking to invest in Ohtani may be wise to focus more on his velocity and arm strength than the final box score in a meaningless spring training game, though a strong performance his next time out -- currently slated for next Sunday against San Diego -- could help ease concerns about the oft-injured hurler.
MARCH 14, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
