Notes: Ohtani rests; Barria struggles

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Two-way star Shohei Ohtani wasn’t in the lineup for a third straight game on Saturday, when the Angels fell to the A's, 11-2, but manager Joe Maddon said it was Ohtani’s decision to back off and get some rest heading into his start on the mound on Sunday against the Padres.

It’s all part of a new plan this year with Ohtani given the power to determine when he’s able to serve as a designated hitter. He’ll be a normal member of their six-man rotation and DH as much as possible, with Ohtani letting the coaching staff know how he’s feeling.

“I honestly believe it's just about listening to him,” Maddon said. “He’s done this before. So the big thing seems to be with him is when he needs rest, I need him to be absolutely honest with me about that. He has already. He doesn't hold back regarding that. And that's what I need. That's what we need to make the better decisions. I'm gonna listen to him.”

Ohtani has been the star of Spring Training so far, as he’s reached as high as 100 mph on the mound and is also batting .600 with a team-leading four homers at the plate. Now that he’s healthy, he’s looking much more like the version of Ohtani who was the 2018 AL Rookie of the Year. Maddon has been pleased to see Ohtani fare well, but noted it’s more than just the results he’s happy with.

"It's all about health and keeping him out there, but you're seeing this elite level of hitting and pitching,” Maddon said. “For me, it's mechanical. It's not just the home run over the green batter's eye or seeing the gun hit 100 mph. It's about his physical mechanics in the batter's box and on the mound. I didn't see either last year and now we're seeing a repeatable delivery and a repeatable swing."

Barria feels healthy but scuffles
Right-hander Jaime Barría struggled a bit in his start against the A’s on Saturday, allowing four runs on five hits over three innings, including allowing homers to Chad Pinder and Matt Olson. His location was off, but he came out of his start feeling good physically.

“Physically, I felt fine,” Barria said through an interpreter. “I made a couple errors with my pitches. I’m not too worried about it. I’ll remember that going into the season.”

Barria’s roster spot is in limbo, as he’s still waiting to hear if he’ll be out of Minor League options this season or not. If he’s out of options, he’ll make the club as a reliever, but if he’s not, he could start the year at the club’s alternate training site to get stretched out as a starter.

Barria, 24, has historically preferred to start, but said he’s open to a bullpen role and whatever will help the team. Maddon wouldn’t rule out Barria making the club even if he’s granted an extra option year.

"I really haven’t heard too many details about it," Barria said of his options status. "I reached out to my agent. He told me to just hang in there as things play out."

Angels tidbits
• Right-hander Alex Cobb is scheduled to pitch in a "B" game against the D-backs on Sunday. He’s scheduled to go five innings. Prospect Brandon Marsh is also expected to play in the outfield for the first time this spring after dealing with a shoulder injury.

• Right-hander Luke Bard, who has been dealing with hip soreness, threw a bullpen session on Saturday. Bard, though, isn’t expected to be ready for the start of the season. Lefty Packy Naughton also threw a bullpen on Friday for the first time since sustaining a flexor pronator strain early in camp.

• Right-hander Félix Peña played catch on Friday for the first time since being diagnosed with a right hamstring strain. His return to action remains roughly two to four weeks away, which is expected to rule him out for Opening Day. Fellow right-hander Aaron Slegers is considered day-to-day with back soreness after being scratched from his outing on Thursday. Slegers is also in danger of not being ready for the start of the year.