Joe Maddon 'Not Anticipating' Shohei Ohtani to Pitch Again in 2020

Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani appears to have thrown his last pitch in the 2020 MLB season.

Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani appears to have thrown his last pitch in the 2020 MLB season. 

One day after being diagnosed with a forearm strain, Angels manager Joe Maddon said he doesn't believe Ohtani will pitch again this year.

“I'm not anticipating him pitching at all this year,” Maddon said. “In whatever kind of throwing program, it'll be very conservative. I don't have any projection on that other than he's not going to pitch this year.”

Maddon did add, however, that Ohtani has been cleared to serve as designated hitter without any restrictions.

Ohtani last just 1 2/3 total innings in his two starts this season. 

Los Angeles's two-way player did not pitch in 2019 after undergoing Tommy John surgery in September 2018. However, he did remain the team's designated hitter.  

Ohtani signed with the Angels in September 2017. He won Rookie of the Year in 2018, hitting 22 home runs while posting a .285/.361/.564 slash line. That year, he also posted a 3.31 ERA in 10 starts.

Maddon did remain optimistic that Ohtani could return to the mound next year. 

"From what I've seen, I believe that he can,” Maddon said. “We just got to get past the arm maladies and figure that out. He's such a high-end arm and, of course, what he can do in the batter's box. It might get to the point where he may choose to want to do one thing over the other and just express that to us. I know he likes to hit. So as of right now in my mind's eye, he's still going to be able to do this.”