Top Ad
I DIG Radio
www.idigradio.com
Listen live to the best music from around the world!
I DIG Style
www.idigstyle.com
Learn about the latest fashion styles and more...

Ohtani to get Opening Day start at pitcher, DH

Written by 
Published in Baseball
Friday, 25 March 2022 13:12

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Shohei Ohtani, the two-way sensation who is coming off a unanimous American League MVP selection, will start Opening Day for the Los Angeles Angels, manager Joe Maddon said Friday.

Maddon made the announcement just minutes after informing Ohtani of the assignment in a brief meeting. It was hardly a surprise, given Ohtani's excellent 2021 season and his standing in an Angels rotation that is again littered with questions.

"It just tastes right, feels right, is right," Maddon said.

Ohtani's Opening Day start -- against the visiting Houston Astros on April 7 -- will come with him also serving as the team's designated hitter. A new rule that was recently agreed to by Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association will allow Ohtani to continue to hit in the lineup even after he exits as a pitcher.

The 2021 season represented the first time in five years that Ohtani had pitched a full season, and he steadily improved as it progressed. The right-hander from Japan finished with a 9-2 record and a 3.18 ERA in 23 starts, striking out 156 and walking 44 in 130⅓ innings. Those numbers -- along with a .965 OPS, 46 home runs, 100 RBIs, 26 stolen bases and eight triples -- made him an easy choice for the AL MVP Award.

Ohtani, 27, joins a six-man rotation with Noah Syndergaard, who has made only two pitching appearances over the past two seasons because of Tommy John surgery, and will include an assortment of young pitchers, most notably Patrick Sandoval, Jose Suarez and potentially Reid Detmers. Michael Lorenzen, who previously aspired to be a two-way player, will also be part of the mix.

But Ohtani was the easy choice to lead them.

"It was, 'Well if I have to,' something like that," Maddon said of Ohtani's reaction to the news. "He's self-deprecating. He's got that kind of sense of humor. He's a good man."

Read 193 times

Soccer

FIFA donates $50m for Qatar World Cup legacy

FIFA donates $50m for Qatar World Cup legacy

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsFIFA launched a $50 million legacy fund for social programmes on We...

Guardiola sorry for self-harm remark after draw

Guardiola sorry for self-harm remark after draw

EmailPrintManchester City boss Pep Guardiola has apologised for suggesting he wanted to hurt himself...

Guardiola's new Man City deal means nothing if stars don't sign extensions, too

Guardiola's new Man City deal means nothing if stars don't sign extensions, too

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsManchester City did the easy part by having manager Pep Guardiola s...

2026 FIFA


2028 LOS ANGELES OLYMPIC

UEFA

2024 PARIS OLYMPIC


Basketball

KD, Beal return as Suns' big 3 leads rout of Lakers

KD, Beal return as Suns' big 3 leads rout of Lakers

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsPHOENIX -- Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant each scored 23 points and...

Giannis out vs. Heat due to pregame knee issue

Giannis out vs. Heat due to pregame knee issue

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsMIAMI -- Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is out for Tues...

Baseball

Champion Dodgers adding Snell, sources say

Champion Dodgers adding Snell, sources say

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsFree agent left-hander Blake Snell and the Los Angeles Dodgers have...

Dodgers split $46M from record MLB playoff pool

Dodgers split $46M from record MLB playoff pool

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsNEW YORK -- A full postseason share for the World Series champion L...

Sports Leagues

  • FIFA

    Fédération Internationale de Football Association
  • NBA

    National Basketball Association
  • ATP

    Association of Tennis Professionals
  • MLB

    Major League Baseball
  • ITTF

    International Table Tennis Federation
  • NFL

    Nactional Football Leagues
  • FISB

    Federation Internationale de Speedball

About Us

I Dig® is a leading global brand that makes it more enjoyable to surf the internet, conduct transactions and access, share, and create information.  Today I Dig® attracts millions of users every month.r

 

Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: www.idig.com
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Affiliated