TEMPE, Ariz. — During the mid-morning break after batting practice, Shohei Ohtani slunk into the chair in front of his locker. His 6-foot-4 frame all but engulfed the stool as he fired up a quick game of “Clash Royale” — his favorite video game — on his phone.



It was quickly interrupted. Hansel Robles, the Angels’ eclectic closer, within seconds began yelling (or singing, depending on your taste) into a water bottle to serenade Ohtani with bachata music as the 25-year-old two-way (and allegedly trilingual) star chided him in Spanish.



“El Caballo Blanco,” Ohtani said, referring to Robles by his nickname, “es loco.”



Robles responded by pinching Ohtani’s arm, and then wincing and shaking his hand, noting the size of the two brick-like appendages that went viral when Ohtani went sleeveless during one of his biweekly media sessions this week. His body transformation has, among other things, prompted...