Shohei Otani Working His Way Back to the Mound
By David Hill
Due to an ankle injury, Shohei Otani has not been on the mound since last October. He is slowly working his way back, and could return to the Ham Fighters in the middle of the month.
Shohei Otani has captured the imagination of major league fans over the past two years. With his incredible ability with the bat, and his dominance on the mound, dreams of a legitimate two way star coming stateside have been dancing through the heads of baseball fans everywhere. When Otani won the Japanese Home Run Derby last year, those voices calling Otani the “Japanese Babe Ruth” got even louder.
While Otani has still impressed with the bat this season, he has yet to appear on the mound. Ankle and thigh injuries have kept him sidelined for most of the season, but he has still performed well when on the field. Otani has produced a .394/.462/.758 batting line, hitting two homers and six doubles in 39 plate appearances. However, he has yet to pitch this season due to those injuries.
That is, until recently. Otani had a rehab outing on July 1, pitching in a minor league game. He struck out the first two batters he faced, then allowed a home run on a badly located fastball. After a walk and a hit batter, Otani ended his outing with a fly ball out. While his fastball had its usual velocity, the rust certainly showed on Otani’s breaking and offspeed pitches, as he struggled to command those offerings.
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Yesterday, Otani took another step towards making his return to the mound for the Nippon Ham Fighters. He threw 50 pitches in a simulated game, not allowing any runs. Otani spent the game mixing in his slider and curve, having far more success than he did in his minor league outing.
As long as Otani does not suffer any setbacks in the next couple of days, he is expected to make his return to the mound on July 12. From that point, the hope is that Otani can step back into his role as the Nippon Ham ace, and continue as their power hitting designated hitter.
Although the current collective bargaining agreement makes it unlikely that he will come over to the majors next year, Otani is still intriguing. It is fascinating to watch him perform at the highest level possible, and to be so far ahead of everyone else in all aspects. We truly have not seen a prospect like this in generations.
Shohei Otani is getting closer to setting foot on the mound this year. When he does, the world will be watching.