OC Register: Angels’ Shohei Ohtani expects to be past blister issues

[AngelsWin.com]

HOUSTON — The Blister Watch could be over.

A day after Shohei Ohtani threw 98 pitches without issue, Manager Mike Scioscia said Ohtani is confident he will not have a problem with the blister again this season.

Scioscia said Ohtani told him the skin has now toughened to a callus, which is a good sign based on his history.

“Shohei really feels if he goes out and pitches and it feels good, then it doesn’t bother him the whole season,” Scioscia said.

Scioscia would not confirm when Ohtani’s next start will be, but if they stay on the current schedule he would pitch Tuesday at home against the Baltimore Orioles.

Ohtani would then be available to hit all three days against the New York Yankees this weekend. The Yankees are starting Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka and CC Sabathia, in that order.

Obviously, if Ohtani starts at DH against Tanaka on Saturday, it would be a mega-event in Japan. Ohtani is more likely to start Friday and Saturday, against the right-handed pitchers, than Sunday against the left-handed Sabathia.

ALSO

Blake Wood (elbow impingement) and Matt Shoemaker (strained forearm) are making progress, Scioscia said Wednesday. Shoemaker has been throwing, but he’s not ready to get on the mound. Wood is expected to be back in about a week…

The Angels used all six of their allotted mound visits for the first time Tuesday night. The visits are limited as part of baseball’s new rules to improve the pace of play. Scioscia said the Angels have had no issues with the rules. Although they played the final two innings with no remaining visits, he said they wouldn’t have done anything differently. They used three in the seventh inning alone, with rookie Justin Anderson on the mound. “Even though we rifled through them, they were all necessary,” Scioscia said. “I think they did have an impact on things. Justin Anderson was a little sideways on things and was able to finish the inning.”

UP NEXT

Angels (Andrew Heaney, 0-1, 9.64) vs. Yankees (Luis Severino, 4-1, 2.32), Friday, 7 p.m., Fox Sports West, KLAA (830 AM)

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[Chuck]

Good news!