OC Register: Angels GM Billy Eppler defends decision to have Shohei Ohtani pitch in September

[AngelsWin.com]

HOUSTON — With each step that Shohei Ohtani has taken toward a return to the mound, one question has grown louder and louder, from fans and even many within the industry.

Why?

Considering the Angels are out of the race for the postseason in 2018, many have suggested that having Ohtani pitch in September is an unnecessary risk.

In the face of growing criticism, general manager Billy Eppler reiterated his stance on Friday morning, and it’s actually pretty simple.

“I go off the information I’m getting from the professionals, and they have cleared him to pitch,” Eppler said. “They said the ligament looks good, looks strong, looks healed, for lack of a better word. I follow the direction of people who went to many years of school to get these advanced degrees and have worked in the professional domain for decades. I’m going to rely on them and their guidance.”

Ohtani will return to the mound on Sunday night against the Houston Astros, his first appearance as a pitcher in nearly three months, since he was diagnosed with a grade 2 sprain of his ulnar collateral ligament.

Since then, Ohtani had a platelet-rich plasma injection and stem-cell therapy. The Angels have watched his rehab through exhaustive daily tests, Eppler said. Eppler said it’s all been with an eye on the long run, as opposed to a push for a quick fix.

“The No. 1 thing is to have players healthy,” he said.

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And, as far as their experts have determined, Ohtani is now healthy, so he’s going to pitch.

“When that ligament is good, pitchers pitch, you let pitchers pitch,” he said. “If players play, you let players play. As soon as they are cleared to do that, that’s what they do. They play.”

Ohtani has said that he had always planned on pitching again this season. After he got the news that he was going to start on Sunday night against the Houston Astros, he said he wasn’t worried, and he said he could have pitched earlier.

Obviously, being cleared doesn’t mean he’s not going to get hurt. Every pitcher in the majors is cleared before he throws a pitch, including many who have had previous injuries. And all of them could have future injuries.

“If you’re going to do something physical for a profession, there’s a chance you’re going to get hurt,” Eppler said.

Although it’s possible Ohtani could get hurt in September — just like every other pitcher throwing in the final month — the Angels decided it’s worth it to let him try now.

“Him finishing the season on the mound is a benefit to the player and the organization,” Eppler said. “What it allows the player to do is to have peace of mind. That’s an important thing. If you ask players who have been injured in their career, if you polled them, the majority, if not all of them would say, knowing that I can have a regular winter to prepare, knowing I can have a regular winter to do my program without any restrictions, that’s important to them. In this case, it’s both a benefit to him and the organization, from a depth chart standpoint, but also from Shohei’s standpoint, knowing that he can have a normal winter.”

If it turns out that Ohtani’s arm can’t take the stress of pitching, then learning that as soon as possible is a benefit to Ohtani and the organization. Any surgery is best performed at the end of a season than in the beginning or middle, to minimize games missed.

So far Ohtani has missed three months as a pitcher since he was diagnosed on June 7 with the UCL injury. He missed less than one month as a hitter, immediately after receiving the platelet-rich plasma injection.

The value he’s shown as a hitter — he’s hitting .275 with 15 homers and an .875 OPS in 266 plate appearances — has prompted some to suggest the Angels should have him abandon pitching.

Eppler rejected that idea.

“He’s a two-way player,” Eppler said. “I think he’s demonstrated that he can be an upper tier/elite tier on the mound. I think he’s demonstrated it in the batters box too. It’s also a goal of the player. It’s something the player has trained his entire life, or at least his adult life, to do.”

What about pitching in relief, either this year or in the long term, to minimize the stress on his arm?

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“There’s been no empirical data that shows pitching out of relief is easier on your arm than pitching as a starter,” Eppler said.

Ohtani showed his value as a starter by posting a 3.10 ERA in nine starts, covering 49-1/3 innings, before he was diagnosed with the injury. Manager Mike Scioscia cautioned that he may not get back to that level immediately upon his return, but the Angels certainly hope he will eventually.

It starts on Sunday, when he’ll take the mound on a fairly tight pitch limit. The Angels haven’t specified the number, but he threw 50 in his last simulated game. Pitching once a week, he could get as many as five starts before the season ends.

”I’m excited for him,” Eppler said. “I’m excited for everybody that has been involved in the process. For him to be able to get back to this point is an accomplishment I think everybody should feel good about. We’ll see what each outing brings.”

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[Angel Oracle]

Concur 

Only concern is throwing too many splitters.

[Dtwncbad]

Maybe Trout should sit all September too since he could get hurt?

Ohtani is either healthy enough to pitch or he is not.  They say he is.  So he pitches, bitches.