Shohei Ohtani has achieved a significant milestone as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery.
The Los Angeles Angels’ two-way player completed his rehab from the surgery, according to the team. Ohtani will head back to Japan and return in late January.
In other #Angels news, Shohei Ohtani successfully completed his Tommy John rehab. He's been cleared to return to Japan. He'll be back in late January and the Angels will plan out his usage for 2020.
— Jeff Fletcher (@JeffFletcherOCR) December 19, 2019
The Los Angeles Angels have made some recent starting pitching additions that seem to be aimed at adding reliable arms. Part of the reason for that is the special circumstances surrounding Ohtani. Because Ohtani also serves as a designated hitter when he is not pitching, he is on a special schedule. Rather than pitch every five days as is typical for starters in a rotation, Ohtani is not expected to pitch more than once a week, Jeff Fletcher says.
Ohtani is not expected to pitch more than 1x a week, and the Angels will limit his innings after TJ. Canning has not pitched a full season, and Heaney has had injury issues, so Teheran and Bundy provide innings cushions around all that, even if a Keuchel/Ryu is still added.
— Jeff Fletcher (@JeffFletcherOCR) December 19, 2019
That helps explain the team’s recent pitching additions, like the trade acquisition of Dylan Bundy and signing of Julio Teheran. Teheran has made at least 30 starts per season every year since 2013. Bundy has pitched at least 160 innings per season the last three years.
The Angels haven’t had a pitcher who has made 30 starts in consecutive seasons since C.J. Wilson did it from 2012-2014.
As a pitcher, Ohtani went 4-2 with a 3.31 ERA in 51.2 innings in 2018.
