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Angels targeting mid-May for Ohtani's return to mound

Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Los Angeles Angels two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani will not be available to pitch on Opening Day, but the team likely won't wait much longer for his return to the mound following Tommy John surgery.

The Angels expect the right-hander to make his first start since 2018 sometime in mid-May, according to Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com.

In his first taste of the majors, Ohtani was an effective hurler. He went 4-2 with a 3.31 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 63 strikeouts in 51 2/3 innings (10.97 K/9), all while being particularly successful with his splitter.

Although Ohtani won't be pitching to kick off the season, he'll serve as the club's designated hitter from Day 1. His adjustment to big-league pitching didn't take long. In his first two seasons with Los Angeles, he's hit .286/.351/.532 with 40 home runs and 110 RBIs in 220 games.

In the meantime, Andrew Heaney, Griffin Canning, Julio Teheran, Dylan Bundy, and Patrick Sandoval are in line to start for the Angels until Ohtani is ready. The club was set to add right-hander Ross Stripling in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers alongside outfielder Joc Pederson, but that agreement fell through.

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