Spring Training Preview: Shohei Ohtani Faces Angels; Austin Barnes Scratched From Dodgers Lineup

The Los Angeles Dodgers enjoyed their only day off of Spring Training on Monday, but now shift gears to taking on the Los Angeles Angels at Camelback Ranch on Tuesday.

The Dodgers are 9-2-1 to this point of Cactus League play, showing strong bursts of offense at all points of their roster. Shohei Ohtani is among their top performers, most recently posting a 3-for-3 game on Sunday against the Colorado Rockies.

Ohtani’s blistering triple in the second inning of Sunday’s contest was an eye-opening swing for many, but more of the same for what he’s been doing for years. The superstar faces his former team for the first time since joining the Dodgers this offseason, signing for a record $700 million contract.

Ohtani spent six seasons with the Angels, earning two unanimous American League MVP Awards, two Silver Sluggers, three All-Star selections, with a Rookie of the Year crown in 2018.

In 701 games, Ohtani batted .274/.366/.556 with 171 home runs and 437 RBI. On the mound, he went 38-19, with a 3.01 ERA 1.08 WHIP and a .200 batting average allowed across 86 starts.

Austin Barnes was originally in the Dodgers lineup, but he was scratched later in the day and replaced by Chris Okey.

Bobby Miller gets the ball for the Dodgers making his second start this spring. The second year right-hander posted two solid innings in his debut, allowing one earned run on two hits.

His strong work in 2023 as a rookie has him in contention to make a large jump this season. Without the pressure of being a front-end option for the Dodgers, Miller settling into a mid-rotation spot could put him on watch for a true breakout year.

Chase Silseth takes the mound for the Angels in his second start. The 23-year-old called up in 2023 out of necessity, and amidst the turmoil of another bumpy year, he posted a 3.96 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, with a .212 batting average allowed.

A tough area for him this past year was limiting walks, to which he allowed 4.47 per nine innings pitched. Silseth showed true growth in several categories, including a bump in strikeouts, limiting hits and home runs.

The Dodgers now enter a straight run in their Cactus League schedule that doesn’t feature a day off until they travel to South Korea for the Seoul Series against the San Diego Padres.

Dodgers lineup

2B: Mookie Betts
DH: Shohei Ohtani
1B: Freddie Freeman
LF: Teoscar Hernández
3B: Max Muncy
RF: Jason Heyward
CF: Kiké Hernández
SS: Miguel Rojas
C: Chris Okey

Angels lineup

RF: Aaron Hicks
1B: Nolan Schanuel
CF: Mike Trout
LF: Taylor Ward
2B: Brandon Drury
DH: Logan O’Hoppe
3B: Miguel Sano
C: Matt Thaiss
SS: Zach Neto

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