Angels' Shohei Ohtani to make Cactus League debut as a pitcher on Saturday
The wait is finally over.
Shohei Ohtani, Japan's two-way superstar, will make his Cactus League debut as a pitcher on Saturday when the Los Angeles Angels host the Milwaukee Brewers, the club announced Thursday.
He's scheduled to go two innings.
On the day he pitches, Ohtani will not hit, said manager Mike Scioscia.
Scioscia also confirmed that Ohtani will not hit on the day after he pitches, meaning his debut as a hitter likely will come Monday.
The Angels plan on using Ohtani as part of a six-man rotation during the season. Depending on his workload, he will work into the offense as a designated hitter.
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"He's going to get the most looks as a pitcher," Scioscia said when camp opened Feb. 13. "If he can pitch to his capabilities, that will always influence your team more than what he would do hitting. But that's not to say he won't have a chance to be a difference-maker on the offensive end, too.
"There's a certain novelty to it. You've had Madison Bumgarner swing the bat with the Giants, but not like we're trying to implement with Shohei. I don't think it's going to be that big of an issue. We need him to pitch. He's a big part of our rotation. Secondary to that, when he has an opportunity to swing the bat, we definitely want to take a look at him."
Ohtani, 23, was highly sought after this winter. Known as "Japan's Babe Ruth," he can hit 100 mph on the radar gun and slugged 22 homers as a 21 year old in the Japan Pacific League.