LOS ANGELES (AP) - Shohei Ohtani wants to remain a two-way player for the Los Angeles Angels, even though he didn’t come close during the shortened season to matching his performance from 2018.
Ohtani went 1 for 4 with a strikeout - and grounded out to first for the final out - in a 5-0 loss to the Dodgers on Sunday that ended the Angels’ season.
The Japanese star batted .190 during the 60-game season. Pitching-wise, he suffered a forearm strain that limited him to parts of three innings over two games before he had to shut it down on the mound.
“The numbers show that I didn’t have a great year and I’m fully aware of that,” Ohtani said through a translator. “I found a lot of things I need to work on in the offseason. I’m looking forward to getting that underway.”
Manager Joe Maddon said Ohtani is expected to begin his off-season throwing program in the next month.
“I really have a lot of confidence in him,” Maddon said.
Ohtani was set up for a normal season, having completed rehabbing last December from Tommy John surgery. Then the coronavirus pandemic hit, wreaking havoc with the sports world and delaying the start of the season until the end of July.
“I’m sure if I was able to spend the regular, normal rehab schedule, the results might have been different,” he said.
With only offense to concentrate on, Ohtani struggled at the plate. He cited being unable to watch in-game video of his at-bats as a contributing factor.
“I want to know where the pitch was and where I took it,” he said. “Ideally, I would have liked to see the replays again. I think it would have helped me.”
Two years ago, Ohtani created a splash while making his major league debut for the Angels. He hit .285 with an on-base percentage of .361. He had 22 home runs, 61 RBIs and 10 stolen bases and was named the American League Rookie of the Year.
By that September, however, he was headed to having Tommy John surgery.
Ohtani returned to the lineup the following May. A month later, he became the first Japanese-born player to hit for the cycle in MLB. That September, his season ended early because he needed patella surgery.
Despite all he’s been through, Ohtani remains confident he can regain the form he showed in 2018.
“I just need to get past me being able to throw without any worries or setbacks,” he said. “Once I get past that, I think everything will fall into place.”
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