Ohtani wants to pitch and hit on same days in regular season

*Photo from Sportsnet*

   Get ready for a new dose of Shohei Ohtani. After injuries have plagued him, limiting him to only hitting in his 3 major league seasons, the duel threat wonder wants to pitch and hit on the same days, come the regular season. We just got a sample of it on Sunday during the Los Angeles Angels spring training game against the San Diego Padres.

   Ohtani has done this before. In Japan, he used to regularly hit for himself, in the leadoff spot, and he pitched and hit leadoff throughout the course of the 2016 season with the Nippon Ham Fighters in Japan. Ohtani believes he can do it, and on Sunday, he struck out 5 hitters in 4 innings of pitching, and reached base safely 3 times. 

   Ohtani said of his duel threat skill through an interpreter that "I'm very excited to show what I can do. That's why I came here back in 2018. I'm sure I disappointed a lot of people the last two years by being hurt. I am looking forward to showing everyone what I'm capable of."

   Ohtani said as well that he didn't feel any additional fatigue after hitting and pitching, even after running the bases twice in Sunday's game. He also said he liked to support himself hitting wise, saying that "I would love to do this during the season. If I could get run support for myself, that will give me extra confidence on the mound to be more aggressive."

   Angels manager Joe Maddon said he was open to the idea, saying that ""I wouldn't spring this on him at the last moment. Like everything else that we've been talking about with him, I wanted his understanding in advance and his feelings. I wanted to talk it through and we did. We've been working toward this moment. He feels good about where he's at pitching-wise and, of course, with his swing. We just want to pop it out there and see what it looks like."