As Angels helmsman Joe Maddon put it, Japanese phenom Shohei Ohtani is ready to rock and roll as he is healthy and has been given the green light to pitch and serve as designated hitter this season.
Ohtani, who is coming off Tommy John surgery and left knee surgery, would have had to wait until mid-May to return to the mound, but with the start of the season delayed by almost four months due to the coronavirus pandemic, Ohtani is 100% recovered. This represents a return as a pitcher / hitter for Ohtani, who was recognized as the AL Rookie of the Year in 2018 but was limited to serving as BD in 2019.
“It’s been a normal thing for me to hit and pitch throughout my professional career,” Ohtani said with the help of interpreter Ippei Mizuhara. “In fact, last year was a strange season for me. I feel like I have returned to my usual routine this year. In that sense, I feel very comfortable. This is a very short season; it is a fast race rather than a marathon. I’m going to try to play 100% from the start, start and finish strong ”.
Ohtani has been rehabilitating and training at Angel Stadium since spring training was suspended in mid-March after receiving permission to continue his elbow rehabilitation at the stadium. The right-hander held a bullpen session on Friday and is close to doing live bullpen sessions against hitters in the coming days. The Japanese believes that facing batters is the next big step for him, but said he is well prepared for it.
“Physically, I was preparing for when the season started,” Ohtani said. “I was able to have good training sessions in the last two months. Mentally, I used this time as if it were the offseason. I felt it was unnecessary to train thoroughly without having a start date. But now that we have that date, I am training with a lot of purpose and I stay mentally strong ”.
Ohtani will stick to a schedule similar to the one he had in his rookie season when he started once a week and served as a designated hitter four to five times a week. A 60-game season will allow Ohtani to make eight to 10 starts on the mound and serve as BD in 30 to 35 games. In a 60-game stretch as a rookie, Ohtani hit .283 / .367 / .531 with six home runs and 20 RBIs in 33 games, while making eight starts in which he had a 3.18 ERA.
Ohtani’s pitching / hitting talents intrigue Maddon quite a bit, especially when you consider that the 25-year-old has physically matured since his rookie season and seems destined for a breakthrough year.
“It’s internal good,” Maddon noted. “It is analytical. Smile easily. He is simply a good soul. He is well dedicated to his craft. He wants to be great. That is the conclusion I have drawn from him. He is a motivated boy ”.
However, Ohtani will be showing off a different mechanic this year as well, as he worked to simplify his delivery to the plate and is likely to shorten his little kick when it comes to throwing. Ohtani said it will be based on how he sits on the hill, but in the end it doesn’t matter whether or not he uses a kick.
“Lifting or not lifting my leg doesn’t matter much to me,” Ohtani explained. “It has more to do with the way my body reacts once my foot hits the ground. So, as long as I have my timing, lifting my leg or not will not be a problem for me ”. (GG) (TAKEN MLB.COM)