Shohei Ohtani in Angels’ lineup day after throwing a career-high 117 pitches

ANAHEIM — A day after Shohei Ohtani threw more pitches than he ever had in a major-league game, he was back in the lineup as the designated hitter.

Even the man who put him there was a little surprised.

“I’m thinking to myself, ‘OK, seven innings, 117 pitches 100 miles an hour, at-bats, movement constantly. You have to be really sore today,’” Angels manager Joe Maddon said. “Without hesitation, he wanted to be back out there.”

Maddon said he communicates with Ohtani regularly to see when he feels he needs a day off. Ohtani assured his manager he was OK to play Saturday, even after the workload Friday night.

Asked if he ought to just overrule Ohtani and rest him, despite his objection, Maddon said he had done that a couple times this year, but didn’t feel that was warranted this time.

“His energy is high,” Maddon said. “He’s moving well. He’s running well. Mechanically, he’s staying within his pitching mechanics. Offensively, he’s maybe coming off the ball a little bit. I think he wants to keep hitting so he gets that groove back in the middle of the field. From my perspective, there’s no reason for me to intervene right now, because I think he still looks good.”

Ohtani has pitched 112 innings in 20 starts, with a 2.97 ERA. Overall he’s played in 129 of the Angels’ 135 games, coming to the plate 528 times.

He will get three consecutive days off next week, though. The Angels play the Padres in San Diego on Tuesday and Wednesday, so there will be no DH. They then have a scheduled off day Thursday.

Ohtani’s next start on the mound hasn’t been set, but Maddon said it would be on six or seven days’ rest, meaning Friday or Saturday in Houston.

JUNK’S DEBUT

Janson Junk will make his major-league debut with a start Sunday against the Texas Rangers.

Junk, 25, was one of the two pitchers the Angels acquired from the New York Yankees in the Andrew Heaney trade last month.

A former 22nd-round draft pick, Junk has a career 3.87 ERA in the minors, including 2.81 this year at Double-A, which is the highest level he’s reached.

EXPERIMENTING

Maddon said he is more likely to try things in the Angels’ games against non-contenders than when they are playing contenders, the latter of which includes every remaining team on their schedule except the Rangers.

For example, Maddon gave Luis Rengifo the start at shortstop Saturday night, and he said he likely wouldn’t have done that earlier in the week against the New York Yankees.

“I really think there’s an integrity part of this whole thing, that you really have to stand up for the teams that they’re fighting against,” Maddon said.

NOTES

Justin Upton was scratched from the Angels lineup after feeling back pain during pregame warmups. Upton was on the injured list for most of July with back pain…

Right-hander Alex Cobb (wrist) threw 29 pitches against hitters Saturday and said he felt good. Maddon said Cobb looked “better than I anticipated.” Maddon said Cobb will need another workout that is a “more accelerated version” of what he did Saturday, and then they’ll decide when he can pitch in a game. Cobb still could need a minor-league rehab game. …

Maddon said he has not got an update recently on right-hander Chris Rodriguez, who is on the Triple-A injured list with a lat injury. General manager Perry Minasian said last weekend that Rodriguez had time to make it back this season as a reliever.

UP NEXT

Angels (RHP Janson Junk, 6-3, 2.81 ERA at Double-A) vs. Rangers (LHP Taylor Hearn, 4-4, 3.96), 1:07 p.m. Sunday, Bally Sports West, 830 AM