Sho-Time may not be over for the Los Angeles Angels this year, as there is a chance that Shohei Ohtani will pitch again in 2018.
The two way experiment appeared to be over, at least for 2018. Los Angeles Angels phenom Shohei Ohtani had been shut down from throwing, sidelined with a Grade 2 sprain of his UCL. Even though he was avoiding surgery, it was possible that Ohtani would not pitch again in 2018. When he returned from the disabled list, and served only as a designated hitter, that plan seemed to be certain.
However, there was another review of Ohtani’s elbow that came on Thursday. That evaluation showed that his elbow was healing, a good sign as he recovers. With that news, the Angels announced that Ohtani has been medically cleared to begin a throwing program.
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Obviously, this does not mean that Ohtani will be back on the mound in the next few days. he will need to go through the rehab process, which is further complicated by his status as the Angels primary designated hitter. Los Angeles will need to not only be careful with Ohtani for his future on the mound, but due to his presence in their lineup.
When healthy, there is no questioning the impact that he has made. Ohtani has produced a solid 4-1 record on the mound, with a 3.10 ERA and a 1.135 WHiP. In his 49.1 innings, Ohtani has 61 strikeouts with 20 walks. Likewise, he has impressed with the bat, posting a .283/.365/.522 batting line with seven homers and ten doubles in 157 plate appearances. Not only is this combined production unheard of in this era of baseball, but Ohtani is only getting started at 23 years old.
It is that potential, and Ohtani’s future stardom, that the Angels need to protect. As it stands, the Angels are likely out of the playoff chase this season, as they are already 11 games behind the Mariners for the second Wild Card spot. While it would be great to see Ohtani back on the mound at some point this season, it would make more sense to be sure he is ready to pitch in 2019.
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Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani is ready to begin throwing once again. However, that does not mean he should return to the mound this year.