The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Ohtani impressive in first MLB start
Shohei Ohtani won his major league pitching debut, throwing threehit ball over six innings and leading the Los Angeles Angels past the Oakland Athletics 7-4 on Sunday.
The two-way star from Japan took the mound three days after he was the designated hitter in the opener. Reaching the upper 90s mph with his fastball and showing a nifty splitter, Ohtani struck out six and retired 14 of his final 15 batters.
Ohtani didn’t hit while pitching. Albert Pujols was the DH and went 0 for 5.
Ohtani (1-0) pounded his glove following a 1-2-3 shutdown fifth. He walked one, and the only damage against him came on Matt Chapman’s three-run homer in the second.
The 23-year-old righty briefly removed his cap and looked to the sky after the drive, then went back to work and blanked the A’s the rest of the way.
Ohtani began the season-opening series by hitting a single on the first pitch he saw as a big leaguer, part of a 1-for-5 day at the plate. He capped the set by posting his first win.
Not too shabby, considering he struggled in spring training with his arm and bat. He went 0-1 with a 27.00 ERA in a pair of Cactus League outings and wound up pitching against minor leaguers on back fields, and also had trouble making contact with his swing.
NBA
LEONARD’S RETURN STILL
UNKNOWN » Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said Kawhi Leonard is continuing his injury rehabilitation in New York with his own team of doctors, but is unsure when the star forward and “his group” will clear him to play.
“I don’t know when he’s going to feel, he and his group are going to feel like they’re ready to go,” Popovich said Sunday prior to a game against Houston. “If I knew, he’d be here. When he and his group feel he’s ready, he’ll be ready.”
Leonard has missed all but nine games this season while nursing right quadriceps tendinopathy, an injury that flared up late in the offseason. He returned to the team’s lineup briefly but has not played since complaining of soreness in his injured thigh following the Spurs’ home win over Denver on Jan. 13.
Leonard opted to go to New York this week to work with his own team of doctors for the second time this season after first working with them prior to the All-Star break in February. The Spurs’ medical staff has been present for both of Leonard’s extended stays in New York to stay updated on his progress.
The 6-foot-7 forward has worked out at the NBA Players Association facility in Manhattan during both of his stays in New York.
Leonard is hoping to return to the Spurs during the regular season, although they only have five games remaining following Sunday’s matchup.
“He’s trying to get well,” Popovich said. “Of course that’s the purpose (of his stay in New York), to get well, that’s what he’s doing. That’s what rehab is. He’s up there going to Broadway shows and everything?”