Japanese two-way star Shohei Ohtani has completed rehab from the right elbow surgery he underwent in October last year, the Los Angeles Angels said Thursday.
The 25-year-old has made progress in his bid to return to the mound next season. He played as a designated hitter this year while recovering from Tommy John elbow ligament surgery.
Angels General Manager Billy Eppler said the team will announce in January how it will deploy Ohtani next season. But the Orange County Register reported that he will likely be limited to pitching no more than once a week, also with a limit to the number of innings he can throw.
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Ohtani was forced to interrupt his rehab when he underwent season-ending knee surgery in September, but he started playing catch outdoors the following month.
As a designated hitter, Ohtani batted .286 with a major league career-high 62 RBIs over 106 games in his second season in the United States.
He was named American League Rookie of the Year in his debut season last year after hitting .285 with 22 home runs while going 4-2 with a 3.31 ERA on the mound in 10 starts.
