Shohei Ohtani cleared to begin throwing off mound
The Los Angeles Angels are getting some good news ahead of winter meetings.
Angels GM Billy Eppler said on Tuesday that two-way star Shohei Ohtani has been cleared to begin throwing off a mound, per OC Register’s Jeff Fletcher. Eppler added that Ohtani will do so for about three to four weeks, after which his rehab from Tommy John surgery will be complete.
The 25-year-old Ohtani, who had the procedure on his right throwing elbow in Sept. 2018, played exclusively as a hitter last year, batting .286 with 18 home runs and 62 RBIs in 106 games. He was 4-2 with a 3.31 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 10 starts during his lone season thus far as an Angels pitcher in 2018.
Ohtani had been throwing bullpens with some intensity in recent months, and returning to throwing off a mound should be the last hurdle in his recovery.
