Ohtani reaches base 3 times in DH debut

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.

"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."