Los Angeles Angels manager Joe Maddon welcomed reports Tuesday that Major League Baseball has agreed to let two-way stars like Shohei Ohtani stay in the batting order as the designated hitter after they leave the mound.
"I think it's probably true. It's wonderful news for us," Maddon said at the Angels' spring training camp outside Phoenix.
The reports, by the Associated Press and New York Post, said the new rule was agreed to by MLB and its players union ahead of the 2022 season, but still needs formal approval.
Ohtani, a unanimous selection for American League MVP in 2021, went 9-2 as a pitcher and was third in the AL in home runs. Maddon often put him in the Angels' batting lineup as a pitcher, giving up the right to use a designated hitter in those games.
The rule is similar to the new one adopted for him at last year's All-Star Game, when Ohtani was allowed to stay in the game and bat after he finished pitching.
"It's deserved based on what he's able to do...that he is a true two-way player," Maddon said. "It just makes sense. Part of it is the allure of him."
The rule was made possible because the designated hitter rule will become universal in both MLB leagues this season. Last year, when Ohtani pitched and hit, the Angels would lose his potent bat. Seven times he moved briefly to the outfield in order to squeeze in another at-bat.
"You could make the argument that he might be the only guy who actually gets to utilize that with any kind of consistency," Maddon said. "If he has a bad outing, he's able to stay in the game longer."
Asked whether the rule should be named after Ohtani, Maddon answered with a play on Ohtani's nickname, "Sho-Time," and MLB's nickname, "The Show."
"It should be the 'Sho Rule,' a new definition of the show," Maddon said.
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