Los Angeles Angels dual-threat phenom Shohei Ohtani took the mound in an intrasquad scrimmage at Angel Stadium on Tuesday, marking the first time he had pitched competitively since 2018 following Tommy John surgery.
Ohtani, who pitched in 10 games in his debut season before being shut down due to arm troubles, spent last season only playing as a designated hitter, batting .286 with 18 home runs and 62 RBI for Los Angeles.
In his limited time on the mound in 2018, the native of Japan impressed with a 4-2 record and a 3.31 ERA, striking out 63 batters in only 51.2 innings pitched.
Ohtani was a bit rusty on the mound on Tuesday, as he walked eight batters in only 50 pitches thrown. He also reportedly uncorked a pair of wild pitches.
The two-way star seemed unconcerned about his shaky performance, stating, “I was able to throw all my pitches today, so I’m just going to try to build on that.”
While Ohtani has been valuable at the Angels for the plate since coming over from Japan, if he is able to return to the Angels’ roster and contribute as a force on the mound, his worth to the team will increase exponentially.
