The Los Angeles Angels announced on Thursday that two-way star Shohei Ohtani has been cleared to begin a throwing program.
MEDICAL UPDATE on Shohei Ohtani: pic.twitter.com/mHQPcVzYNH
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) July 19, 2018
This opens the door for him to possibly pitch again in 2018.
This is very good news for the Angels and baseball fans everywhere.
In June, it was reported that Ohtani might need Tommy John Surgery. That would have ended his 2018 season and certainly would have kept him from pitching in 2019.
Ohtani was activated from the DL at the beginning of July, but has only hit since returning.
He’s been highly valuable to the Angels in both roles throughout the 2018 season. At the plate, Ohtani is hitting .283/.365/.522 with seven home runs in only 138 at-bats.
In nine starts as a pitcher, he’s put up a 3.10 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and struck out 11.1 hitters per nine innings.