The Angels will change the dynamic of their starting rotation to accommodate their new two-way star.
While in Japan, Shohei Ohtani pitched once per week. With five-man rotations the norm in Major League Baseball, there are occasions where a starter may pitch twice during a seven-day span. For the Angels, that doesn’t appear to be an occurrence we should expect.
On Tuesday, manager Mike Scioscia confirmed the Angels will start the season with a six-man rotation.
“We’re gonna be flexible, but right now that’s how we’re gonna map things out,” Scioscia said, via the Los Angeles Times. “With a six-man, it will take a little bit of the burden off guys to have to bounce back. It will not only pay dividends for Shohei but for the rest of our staff to hopefully keep them effective and strong through the whole season.”
Garrett Richards, one of the team’s projected starters, is on board with the idea. He cited an extra day of rest being beneficial.
“If it’s a way for everybody to stay healthy and we can win ballgames, then I’m all for it,” said Richards. “Theoretically, you would think an extra day of rest would be a beneficial thing.”
There will be adjustments that will need to be made by those involved, and it will some time to get acclimated to the new system. However, the addition of a guy who was named Pacific League MVP in 2016 and has Scioscia excited about what he brings to the mound should be worth the experiment.
