Shohei Ohtani Confirms He'll Make 1st Angels Pitching Appearance Since 2018

Los Angeles Angels designated hitter and pitcher Shohei Ohtani confirmed he will take the mound for the team this year after he didn't pitch in 2019 while he was recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reported the news, noting Ohtani said he will start Los Angeles' third game of the year. That game is scheduled for Sunday, July 26, against the Oakland Athletics, and Bollinger explained that means Ohtani will start on Sundays with the team having three Monday off-days during the season.

Ohtani arrived in the major leagues for the 2018 season with plenty of hype because of his ability to both pitch and be a regular and productive part of the lineup.

He was the American League Rookie of the Year in his first season, slashing .285/.361/.564 with 22 home runs and 61 RBI at the plate and finishing with a 3.31 ERA, 1.16 WHP and 63 strikeouts in 51.2 innings on the mound.

Even when he didn't pitch last year, Ohtani was solid at the dish with a .286/.343/.505 slash line, 18 home runs, 62 RBI and 12 stolen bases on the offensive side.

Alden Gonzalez of ESPN noted Los Angeles' plan is to pitch Ohtani once a week instead of every five days and also keep him out of the lineup the days before and after he is the starting pitcher. That is what he did during the 2018 campaign, which resulted in the Rookie of the Year recognition.

On Sunday, Ohtani faced 22 batters during an intrasquad scrimmage and tallied six strikeouts while allowing just five singles.

He appeared ready to be a key contributor on the mound for an Angels squad with high expectations that is attempting to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2014 campaign.

Los Angeles added manager Joe Maddon and slugger Anthony Rendon this offseason. Adding Rendon to an offense that already featured Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, Justin Upton and Ohtani figures to make the Angels a potential competitor in the American League West.

A productive Ohtani on the mound would make them all the more dangerous.