3 key talking points from Shohei Ohtani's first encounter vs. Angels as Dodgers get blanked 

The day finally arrived when Shohei Ohtani, donning Dodger blue, went up against his previous ballclub, the LA Angels. Ahead of the game, Ohtani embraced his former teammate, Mike Trout, and looked confident in facing Chase Silseth of the Halos at the top of the hitting lineup. The Halos trumped the Dodgers in Tuesday's game 4-0 and extended their spring training game winning streak to six games.

Here are a few talking points from the game:

3 key talking points from Shohei Ohtani's first encounter with the Angels as a Dodger

#1 Embrace with former teammates (especially Mike Trout)

Shohei Ohtani ran to the opposite side of the pitch about 15 minutes before the start of the Cactus League contest. Ohtani stopped short of a full sprint to give Halos outfielder Mike Trout a quick hug and converse for a while with the three-time AL MVP.

Ohtani, for the first time in his career, sprinted back in the opposite way after spending some time with and snapping some photos with his former teammates from the Angels in order to get ready to play against them. It is the team that gave him his Major League debut six years ago when he made his move to the MLB from the NPB.

"A lot of the boys were here today. So I got to catch up with most of them. It didn’t really feel too weird or uncomfortable because it kind of is what it is. If I was playing at the Angels’ home, it might have been a little different story." - Ohtani on playinig against the Angels for the first time after making the move to the Dodgers this past winter

#2 Going 0-3 on the night

Tuesday provided Shotime with a chance to prepare for the next season in addition to a chance to reunite with his old pals from the Halos organization. Shohei Ohtani was 5-for-7 in spring with a home run and a triple going into Tuesday's game. He'd made it to base seven times in a row.

However, on Tuesday, Shohei Ohtani sailed out to Mike Trout in centre field during his third and final at-bat after striking out in his first two at-bats against Silseth. For now, Ohtani and his teammates don't seem to care about the results.

For Ohtani this spring, being healthy and keeping himself in good shape is probably all that matters ahead of a blockbuster 2024 MLB season.

#3 A healthy Ohtani eye to remain consistent through 2024

The Padres and Dodgers will play in Seoul, South Korea, on March 20–21. Shohei Ohtani, who will not pitch this year due to a second major elbow surgery he had in September, is beginning to show signs of being fit enough to play in that series.

"I think we can say the hitting part of the rehab is over officially. Now I just need to get more at-bats, have quality at-bats, be able to see the ball and get my timing down." - Ohtani

Shohei Ohtani stated he hoped to have about fifty at-bats before the Seoul Series, even before the Cactus League began. Shohei seems to be exactly where he wants to be right now.

For the first time this spring, he will play on back-to-back days on Wednesday when the White Sox visit the Dodgers. He will get another opportunity at three at-bats and continue his positive momentum at home plate.

"I’m still getting used to seeing with my eyes in night games, but I should be there. My last at-bat felt pretty good. I got jammed a little bit. But overall, I’m pretty satisfied with the quality and the results of my at-bats." - Shohei after last night's game against the Halos