Shohei Ohtani is feeling good in his rehab and ready to ramp things up.
The Los Angeles Angels two-way player is recovering from offseason Tommy John surgery that will prevent him from pitching this season. But he is working his way back so he can contribute to the team as a batter.
Ohtani spoke with the media on Wednesday and said he felt ready to return if the team allowed it. He thinks he could be cleared to face live pitching soon and will be ready to crank things up quickly, according to The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya.
Shohei Ohtani said he feels he could be ready to come back now if that’s what the team’s program was. He will have a doctor’s appointment soon, and if all goes well he can start seeing live pitching. He said he feels things could ramp up quickly from there.
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) April 10, 2019
Ohtani also continues to rave about his power stroke.
Shohei Ohtani: "I feel really good hitting outside. The distance is there, the power's still there, so it's going really well so far… I feel like I didn't miss a beat."
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) April 10, 2019
The Japanese star proved to be a natural at the plate in MLB. He batted .285 with 21 doubles, 22 homers and a .925 OPS as a rookie last season.
The Angels have been targeting a May return for Ohtani.
