Joe Maddon hopeful Shohei Ohtani will be able to pitch when season starts
MLB’s delayed Opening Day may mean Shohei Ohtani gets the chance to pitch it.
Los Angeles Angels manager Joe Maddon said he was hopeful that Ohtani would be ready to go as a pitcher when MLB starts its season in late July.
Joe Maddon said he’s “very” hopeful that Shohei Ohtani, Griffin Canning and Felix Peña will be ready to pitch by Opening Day 2.0. None of the three were likely to be able to pitch for the original Opening Day.
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) June 24, 2020
Ohtani underwent Tommy John surgery in October 2018. He was able to return for the bulk of the 2019 season, but only as a position player, hitting .286 with 18 home runs in 106 games.
The Japanese star has only pitched 10 games in the league since moving to the U.S., but it’s easy to see why there’s such an eagerness to get him back on the mound. He had a 3.31 ERA in his rookie year of 2018.
It’s not clear what the Angels’ plans are for Ohtani once the season starts. One thing is for sure: he certainly looks ready to handle whatever workload the team gives him.
