The Los Angeles Angels plan to stick with pitching Shohei Ohtani on a schedule similar to the one he was accustomed to in Japan.
In Japan, Ohtani had six days of rest in between his starts. In an attempt to help ease Ohtani’s transition to the majors, Angels manager Mike Scioscia said during spring training that he would like to keep Ohtani on a similar schedule. Thus far, there does not appear to be any changes to that plan.
“We’re going to be very diligent in checking in with our medical department to see what Ohtani’s availability will be on a day-to-day basis, and to make sure that he has the best chance to contribute with the bat and on the mound,” Scioscia told MLB.com.
In between starts, Ohtani will see time as a designated hitter, which has gone well in a limited sample size. In 14 at-bats, Ohtani has six hits, including two home runs. He received the silent treatment after the first one, which is always entertaining to see. Ohtani has made one start as a pitcher, allowing three runs over six innings. He was clocked at 100 mph during the outing against Oakland.
The Angels may have a budding star on their hands. Ohtani is already doing things we haven’t seen in baseball since Babe Ruth. It only makes sense the Angels would do what they can to put him in the position to be as successful as possible without taxing him physically
