Angels activate Ohtani to get bat back in lineup

The Angels activated righthanded pitcher/designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (right elbow) from the 10-day disabled list Tuesday and he was the designated hitter in their game against the Seattle Mariners.

Ohtani received stem cell therapy and a platelet-rich plasma injection to help heal his Grade 2 sprain of his ulnar collateral ligament suffered more than three weeks ago. Ohtani was cleared for a hitting program on Friday and took part in two simulated games against minor league pitchers over the weekend.

“We’re going to see how many looks we can give him as a (designated hitter) and hopefully he’ll give us a lift there,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.

Scioscia added that there’s no plan in place in terms of Ohtani’s usage and they’ll monitor it daily.

Ohtani is hitting .280 with a .878 OPS and six homers in 118 at-bats in his rookie season. He batted sixth on Tuesday and went hitless in four at-bats with three strikeouts in a 4-1 loss to the Mariners.

It’s still unclear if Ohtani is capable of returning on the mound this year, but Angels general manager Billy Eppler has expressed the club’s desire to utilize his skills as a hitter as the Angels attempt to climb back into the playoff race.

Scioscia emphasized that Ohtani was not being rushed back into the lineup.

“He would not be playing here tonight if he wasn’t cleared by our medical department,” Scioscia said. “We were very comfortable that he was able to swing the bat.”

ASTROS’ MCCANN TO HAVE SURGERY >> Astros catcher Brian McCann will have surgery on the troublesome right knee that has sent him to the disabled list for the second time this season. McCann was put on the disabled list Tuesday night.