Ohtani has no regrets hitting through year, delaying surgery
TEMPE, ARIZ. >> Shohei Ohtani tossed his water bottle toward a clubhouse garbage can and missed, instead landing it in a laundry bin. He laughed out loud, smiled big as he so often does, then retrieved the trash and put it in the proper place.
That’s about as close to throwing as the Japanese two-way star is right now.
Ohtani wouldn’t change how he handled his elbow injury late last year, continuing to hit for the Angels until season’s end even if it meant delaying reconstructive surgery and his ability to pitch again until 2020.
“I have no regrets about what happened last year. That’s what the team thought about me, the plan,” Ohtani said through interpreter Ippei Mizuhara. “In the end it didn’t work out but I still have no regrets.”
The reigning AL Rookie of the Year is recovering from an Oct. 1 Tommy John surgery with the hope he will be able to bat in the Los Angeles lineup as early as May if all stays on schedule.
“There’s a lot of variables. That’s the goal I’m shooting for but there might be some setbacks here and there,” Ohtani said. “If not, that’s what I’m trying to go for.”
At Tempe Diablo Stadium, the scene Wednesday was a far cry from a year ago when Ohtani showed up at spring training with fanfare and faced a huge media contingent following his every move. For now, the two-way star isn’t even on the field as he works out inside.
“It’s going to be a slow process,” new manager Brad Ausmus said ahead of his club’s first on-field session for pitchers and catchers. “He gets his workouts in. Right now he’ll be mostly inside. We need to protect this guy long term, so we’re hoping for May but if it goes longer it goes longer.”
The 24-year-old Ohtani spent time back home in Japan this offseason working through his rehabilitation, which right now includes dry swings only in terms of his hitting preparation.
“So far there’s nothing in my elbow, I don’t feel anything there. It’s been great,” he said. “I just need to watch my effort level, try to keep it down and listen to the trainers.”
Ohtani went 4-2 with a 3.31 ERA in 10 starts as a pitcher. He played 104 games overall, hitting .285 with 22 homers and 61 RBIs.
Bauer, Cole, Wood win in arbitration; players ahead
ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. >> Trevor Bauer, Gerrit Cole and Alex Wood won their salary arbitration cases, giving players a 6-3 advantage over teams to ensure a winning record in consecutive years for the first time since 1989-90.
Bauer won his hearing for the second straight year and was awarded $13 million by James Darby, James Oldham and Sylvia Skratek instead of the Cleveland Indians’ $11 million offer.
Cole was given a $13.5 million salary by Gil Vernon, Steven Wolf and Walt De Treux rather than the Houston Astros’ offer of $11,425,000.
Wood will get $9.65 million instead of the Reds’ $8.7 million offer, Dan Brent, Andrew Strongin and Phillip LaPorte decided.
Matsuzaka sustains freak injury
TOKYO >> Daisuke Matsuzaka has dealt with numerous arm injuries during his career but none quite like this. The Chunichi Dragons say Matsuzaka, 38, is experiencing pain in his right shoulder after an overzealous fan pulled his throwing arm during a fan event at spring training in Okinawa.
Matsuzaka was diagnosed with inflammation in his throwing arm as a result of the incident, and the Dragons on Tuesday told him not to throw for the time being.