Angels' Shohei Ohtani to Still Pitch Once a Week in Shortened 60-Game MLB Season

The Los Angeles Angels may use a six-man starting rotation for the shortened 2020 MLB season, manager Joe Maddon told reporters Wednesday.

That would allow two-way star Shohei Ohtani to take the mound for the Halos in addition to carrying out his offensive duties.

The 25-year-old Japanese star provided a taste of what he could do as a rookie in 2018. He went 4-2 with a 3.31 ERA and 3.57 FIP in 10 starts, per Baseball Reference. However, he underwent Tommy John surgery in October 2018, which ruled out any chance of his pitching in 2019.

Ohtani remained the designated hitter, however, finishing with a .286/.343/.505 slash line and 18 home runs in 106 games.

Having him available to pitch will be a nice boost for the Angels, who have big question marks surrounding their starting rotation. Los Angeles failed to land Gerrit Cole, and Julio Teheran and Dylan Bundy were its most notable pitching additions.

"Without Cole as the ace at the top that many fans had hoped for, the Angels will instead hope for consistency and improvement from their other starters," the Orange County Register's Jeff Fletcher wrote in January. "Their best hope at developing their own ace is to have Shohei Ohtani make a strong return from Tommy John surgery."

Ohtani's impact in a six-man rotation compared to a five-man rotation would be muted, but that's the best approach given the unique circumstances of this season and the fact he's coming off major elbow surgery.

If the Angels reach the playoffs, Ohtani's value could be far greater since Maddon would likely pare down his starting staff.