Ohtani struggled to command the ball at times, particularly to the glove side of the plate, and he was aided by a couple of perhaps generous strike calls from plate umpire Tripp Gibson.

Shohei Ohtani could return to a major league mound in the next two weeks but Los Angeles Dodgers rookie right-hander Roki Sasaki has paused his throwing program and is set for a lengthy layoff.

Ohtani helped the Dodgers win their eighth World Series title — and his first — last season, the first of a $700 million, 10-year contract.