Los Angeles Angels two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani will miss some time from the mound for 4-6 weeks with a forearm strain. Ohtani had a very rough first start of the 2020 season after a lengthy stay on the Injured List (IL) after arriving in the big leagues. Being that he is a two-way player, he should still be able to hit and be in the lineup as a designated hitter.
Shohei Ohtani has a grade 1-2 strain of the flexor pronator mass, the Angels say. The timetable is 4-6 weeks to return to throwing. Of course, the season has only 8 weeks left.
He can still DH. #Angels
— Jeff Fletcher (@JeffFletcherOCR) August 3, 2020
After all, the season only has eight weeks remaining, so it may be better off just to keep Ohtani off the mound and get use out him as a designated hitter. It is still troubling for Ohtani, given all of the upside and excitement surrounding his two-way abilities. He will now have to sit out another season from the mound while he works through this injury.
Ohtani was unable to pitch in 2019, but still played 106 games offensively where he hit .286/.343/.505 with 18 home runs and 62 RBI on the year. In 2019, Ohtani did not register many stats, and his second start did not go much better than the first given he was removed early.
The hope would be that the Angels can get Ohtani back on track and throwing again in the offseason or near the conclusion of the 2020 regular season.
