Shohei Ohtani displayed flashes of brilliance during his third start of the year despite the Dodgers' 9-5 loss to the Kansas City Royals. After a shaky first inning, where he allowed a single to Bobby Witt Jr. and a walk to Maikel Garcia, Ohtani responded with an impressive comeback, striking out Vinnie Pasquantino with a blistering 101.7 mph fastball, marking the hardest pitch of his career.

Ohtani's performance showed promise, as he retired the side in the second inning with 20 strikes on 27 pitches, displaying dominant fastballs and a variety of off-speed pitches that baffled hitters. However, the Dodgers’ bullpen struggled, allowing six runs after Ohtani was pulled, and defensive mistakes further compounded the situation. The team remains cautious about Ohtani's pitching workload, following his recovery from Tommy John surgery.