Shohei Ohtani gives perfect two-word summary of Yoshinobu Yamamoto's Dodgers debut after rookie hurler tossed 16 of his 19 pitches for strikes

Yoshinobu Yamamoto tossed 19 pitches in his spring-training debut for the Dodgers, recording 16 strikes and three punchouts against the defending-champion Texas Rangers in what could only be described as an impressive performance for the 25-year-old rookie.

Or, as teammate and countryman Shohei Ohtani described Yamamoto's effort: It was 'so-so.'

Yamamoto revealed Ohtani's reaction through a translator at the Dodgers spring-training facility in Arizona on Wednesday to a round of laughter from reporters.

His only blemish over his two innings of work was the single he yielded to fellow rookie Evan Carter, and that mistake was erased one batter later when Yamamoto induced a double-play ball from another highly touted rookie, Wyatt Langford.

Ohtani wasn't playing on Wednesday as Yamamoto pitched for the first time since signing a $325million 12-year deal with the Dodgers over the winter. Still, baseball's $700million man still made the 30-minute drive from the Phoenix suburbs to watch Yamamoto take the mound in Surprise, Arizona.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto (right) impressed  everyone in his debut besides Shohei Ohtani (left)

And while Ohtani wasn't allowing himself to admit it, Yamamoto showed exactly why MLB teams projected him as an ace pitcher before this season.

'I was just trying to do my job, trying to stay calm and focus on what I have to do,' Yamamoto said through an interpreter.

Yamamoto opened by striking out All-Star Marcus Semien on six pitches, and followed that with by fanning Nathaniel Lowe and Leody Taveras in the second.

Best of all, Lowe and Tavaes appeared to be baffled by Yamamoto by offering weak swings on their respective third strikes.

'I don't think it could have gone any better,' Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. 'He got to use his entire pitch mix. He was pounding the strike zone. He got a lot of swing and miss and he was efficient.'

Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, center, and designated hitter Shohei Ohtani,

Roberts said the two players quickly were building a close relationship.

'What a good teammate,' Roberts said. 'It's something he didn't have to do, clearly, but he wanted to come here and support his teammate.'

Yamamoto has been the less-publicized part of a $1 billion offseason investment by the Dodgers into a pair of Japanese stars. Los Angeles signed Shohei Ohtani to a record $700 million, 10-year contract in December while Yamamoto finalized his deal a few weeks later.

'I've got all support from my Dodgers teammates and they've helped me get acclimated,' Yamamoto said. 'It's been easy.'