Ohtani strikes 11
Shohei Ohtani closed spring training by fanning 11 over six innings against the Angels, mixing a sweeper, curveball and fastball — including a three‑pitch K sequence in the fourth — and looks primed to anchor the Dodgers’ rotation. Los Angeles finalized an Opening Day roster with Ohtani as the centerpiece. (espn.com) (truebluela.com)
The Freeway Series finale at Dodger Stadium on March 24, 2026, ended with the Angels beating the Dodgers 3–0. (mlb.com) Ohtani exited that night after the top of the fifth, having allowed three runs on four hits, issued two walks and thrown 86 pitches (49 strikes). (mlb.com) Manager Dave Roberts and catcher Will Smith praised Ohtani’s repertoire shift: five swinging strikeouts came on his fastball, two on a sweeper, one on a sinker and three on a curveball — a pitch Ohtani used under 10% of the time last season. (espn.com) Between the second and fourth innings he punched out six batters in a row, a stretch that included strikeouts of Jorge Soler, Yoán Moncada and Jo Adell. (mlb.com) With Blake Snell and Gavin Stone already on the injured list, the Dodgers have emphasized depth in the rotation and have publicly discussed using off days to manage workloads. (mlb.com) The club carried Alex Freeland on its Opening Day 26-man roster instead of Hyeseong Kim and is beginning the season with multiple relievers sidelined, including Brock Stewart, Evan Phillips and Brusdar Graterol. (mlb.com) Team plans project Ohtani to make his first regular-season start on March 31 against the Cleveland Guardians during the Dodgers’ March 30–April 1 homestand. (dodgerblue.com)
