Summary TLDR (3 sentences):
- Shohei Ohtani said that while reaching innings pitched milestones is important as a starting pitcher, his top priority is finishing the season healthy, and eating innings helps stabilize the entire team’s pitching staff.
- He reflected that he may have contributed to a negative offensive flow in the game rather than directly helping the lineup, and focused more on evaluating his own pitching performance than frustration about not hitting.
- Ohtani also expressed full trust in the team’s management of his two-way role and noted that his slider execution and arm slot were slightly off in this outing, leading to some ineffective pitches.
Reporter: You’ve previously said that reaching the innings-pitched threshold is something you only really understand by doing it, and today you were closer to it again. Do you have any particular focus or mindset about that?
Ohtani: The innings total… I think, as you mentioned earlier, the most important thing is finishing the season healthy. In a 160-game season, there are standards for how much a starting pitcher is expected to contribute. I think the minimum benchmark is that innings requirement, depending on the rotation structure. It’s one of the indicators. If I can pitch longer, I can cover more innings, and that helps keep the entire staff—including the bullpen—healthy and functioning well.
Reporter: In a game like today, in past years you might have been able to help the team offensively late in the game. Since you’re focused on pitching now, do you feel any frustration about not being able to do that?
Ohtani: Like I said before, I didn’t really see it in a positive way. In each inning, runners were getting on, and I wasn’t able to create a flow where we could focus on offense. We didn’t score early, and I think part of that was related to that. Rather than saying I couldn’t contribute to the lineup, I feel more like I may have brought a negative flow into our offense. That’s something I need to reflect on.
Reporter: Given everything you’ve accomplished as a two-way player, do you ever feel anything when discussions come up about rest, workload, or focusing only on pitching?
Ohtani: No, not really. Like I said before, when they tell me to go, I want to go. I truly trust the front office and everyone in the organization. It’s not just about me—everyone is involved in managing health and workload. I trust that process, and I just want to perform well when I’m able to play.
Reporter: Was there anything specific about your pitches today that felt off?
Ohtani: My arm slot was probably a bit lower than usual, and that affected the way the pitches moved. Especially the slider that was hit for a fly ball to center field—I threw it while a bit uncertain, and I think that was a bad pitch.
Leave a Reply