TEMPE, Ariz. — While Shohei Ohtani has struggled to put up the spring training numbers to match his talent, it seems the Angels are still prepared to give him a shot to show what he can do in the majors.

Despite the results he’s gotten as a pitcher and hitter, the Angels are still planning to start Ohtani in the major leagues, according to a source.

General manager Billy Eppler and manager Mike Scioscia have both been noncommittal about Ohtani’s place on the major league roster, but each has expressed confidence in Ohtani’s talent.

Both said on Saturday they are evaluating him based on elements of his performance — on the mound and at the plate — that go beyond outs and hits.

“Pitching wise, absent a couple pitches each outing completely getting away from him, losing grip or feel, he’s been around the strike zone with the majority of his pitches,” Eppler said Saturday. “We look at walk rate and strike throwing and the ability to get hitters to swing and miss. As we look at those things, those are the foundation of our evaluative methodologies, and those things are in place.”

Ohtani has pitched in four games this spring, most recently a performance on Friday in which he allowed seven runs on seven hits in 1-1/3 innings against the Colorado Rockies. Overall, he’s allowed 15 earned runs and recorded 25 outs in four games, three of them against mostly minor league opposition.

His velocity has reached 98 mph, and he’s got 19 strikeouts and three walks, all of which has bolstered the Angels’ confidence.

“I think Shohei is very close,” Scioscia said Saturday. “I thought you saw the stuff, especially getting out of the first inning (no runs and two strikeouts). There are some things he’s very close on.”

Scioscia said Ohtani spent some time on Saturday morning going over video with pitching coach Charlie Nagy.

Ohtani’s next start is not yet scheduled, but his previous two starts have been on six days rest. If he stays on six days rest, he would pitch on Friday. He may not pitch in a major league game, because the Angels want to make sure he can get up to 90-plus pitches. He threw about 80 pitches on Friday, including 30 in the bullpen following his early exit from the game. It’s also possible Ohtani’s next outing could be his final one before the start of the regular season.

As for Ohtani’s hitting, Eppler said there is reason to believe that he’ll be better than his 2-for-20 performance so far in major league exhibition games.

“We evaluate decision-making on pitches, the swing-no swing relationship, how hitters make certain decisions, and he’s checking a lot of boxes there,” Eppler said. “I know he doesn’t have the results he would want to have or people outside would want to see, like batting average. There have been some at-bats that have been more difficult for him and he’s faced some pretty good pitchers. He’s struck the ball hard. He doesn’t chase pitches outside the strike zone. He does some things we value. I would say he’s been better than his slash line.”

Eppler also said definitively that the Angels aren’t planning to have him abandon hitting.

“The track record gives us the confidence to move forward with him as a two-way player,” he said.

Ohtani is scheduled to hit in against the Texas Rangers on Sunday in Surprise. He had initially been scheduled to hit in a minor league game, but the Angels changed the plan on Saturday afternoon.

Stock rising

David Fletcher remained in big league camp on Saturday, after infielders Colin Walsh and José Fernandez were sent out over the previous 24 hours.

Although still a dark horse to win a spot on the Angels’ opening day roster, Fletcher has opened eyes by leading the team with a .378 average, prior to Saturday’s game.

“He continues to do things easier and understands the game more and he’s having a terrific spring,” Scioscia said. “He’s worked his way onto our depth chart, not only the way he played last summer but what he showed this spring.”

Fletcher, a product of Cypress High and Loyola Marymount, was the Angels’ sixth-round pick in 2016. He has hit .282 with a .696 OPS in the minors, earning a spot in the Arizona Fall League and rising to Triple-A.

Despite his solid performance this spring, Fletcher still seems likely ticketed to start the season at Triple-A, so he can play every day.

Kaleb Cowart and Jefry Marte are the top candidates to win the final bench spot, with Fernandez and Walsh being sent out and Nolan Fontana having lost time with a shoulder injury. If Marte makes the team, Zack Cozart would have to serve as the Angels’ backup second baseman.

Also

Garrett Richards got an extra day of rest, so he is now scheduled to start in a minor league game on Sunday, with Nick Tropeano starting the big league game against the Texas Rangers. The Angels are expected to have several of their starters work in minor league games this time through the rotation, to build up their pitch-count. Richards remains in line to start on opening day, although the Angels’ have not announced their season-opening rotation.

Matt Thaiss, the Angels’ first-round pick in 2016, was sent to minor league camp on Saturday morning. It was a rough couple days for Thaiss, who played at Virginia. A day earlier, Virginia became the first No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 in the NCAA basketball tournament.