Baseball: Oakland’s Fujinami set for MLB debut against Angels, Ohtani

Japanese right-hander Shintaro Fujinami is scheduled to make his first start for the Oakland Athletics at home on April 1 against a Los Angeles Angels lineup likely to feature World Baseball Classic MVP Shohei Ohtani, Oakland manager Mark Kotsay confirmed Saturday.

The former Hanshin Tigers hurler will initially start once per week, mirroring the typical starting pitcher schedule in Japan, as he acclimates to America’s majors, Kotsay told reporters at the Athletics’ spring training base in Arizona.

MLB teams generally rotate between five starting pitchers, whereas Japan’s majors commonly use s...