Ohtani DH question

[Torridd]

If Ohtani is healthy, can he be a full-time DH for the team or will he need a "good" amount of time off to refresh/get acclimated to the amount of games played? Will he be allowed to hit lefties or will he automatically be placed in a platoon situation?  

[Broad Street]

Ausmus said he would bat against lefties, but I don't think he'll be ready until June-ish.

[Torridd]

8 minutes ago, Kody Mac said:

Ausmus said he would bat against lefties, but I don't think he'll be ready until June-ish.

To play against lefties or DH period?

[Docwaukee]

5 minutes ago, Torridd said:

To play against lefties or DH period?

to DH period.  Hoping it's earlier than June.  

@Jeff Fletcher any word on Ohtani's anticipated timeline?  

[Jeff Fletcher]

15 minutes ago, Kody Mac said:

Ausmus said he would bat against lefties, but I don't think he'll be ready until June-ish.

They don’t know for sure if he’ll be able to play every single day or he’ll need days off.  It seems to me he’ll probably be physically able to play almost every day since the serious throwing stuff won’t start till late in the season. 

As for how soon he’ll be ready, we should start to get an idea of that soon. I think the over-under is about April 25.

[Pancake Bear]

If Ohtani isn’t ready till June, don’t expect much out of him this season. He might start hitting effectively by July. 

[Jeff Fletcher]

2 minutes ago, Dochalo said:

to DH period.  Hoping it's earlier than June.  

@Jeff Fletcher any word on Ohtani's anticipated timeline?  

Eppler said they’d have a better idea around late January, which is now. 

Next time I talk to Eppler, which could be any minute now, I will certainly ask. 

[beatlesrule]

There is no way he's out until June unless there is some kind of major setback or he gets injured. No later than May IMO.

[Docwaukee]

3 minutes ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

Eppler said they’d have a better idea around late January, which is now. 

Next time I talk to Eppler, which could be any minute now, I will certainly ask. 

thanks.  I hope that Apr 25th date is when he'll be ready for mlb and not to start his rehab.  

[Broad Street]

6 minutes ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

Eppler said they’d have a better idea around late January, which is now. 

Next time I talk to Eppler, which could be any minute now, I will certainly ask. 

Ask him if he's going to sign any other relievers like Justin Hancock or Sergio Romo lol

[Chuck]

@Jeff Fletcher ask Eppler if they're interested in either Machado or Harper. 

[Torridd]

28 minutes ago, Chuckster70 said:

@Jeff Fletcher ask Eppler if they're interested in either Machado or Harper. 

Please don't.

[Chuck]

1 hour ago, Torridd said:

Please don't.

I think it's a question that has never been asked, so why not? If Eppler straight out says NO, then we can be done with it. If he doesn't respond or says something else, we can keep on dreaming. lol

[Dick Enberg]

Fletcher = Eppler

[Second Base]

Shoot, I hope his progress surprises everyone and he's a full participant in Spring Training. 

[ten ocho recon scout]

1 hour ago, Chuckster70 said:

I think it's a question that has never been asked, so why not? If Eppler straight out says NO, then we can be done with it.

 

[Jeff Fletcher]

4 hours ago, Dochalo said:

thanks.  I hope that Apr 25th date is when he'll be ready for mlb and not to start his rehab.  

That would be to play in games. He won’t need a real rehab assignment, per se, since he doesn’t have to play in the field. 

You’ll recall he was cleared to hit last year about June 25 and he was playing in games on July 5.

[Hubs]

Let’s assume May 1 then, what does the April Roster look like. Will Pujols and Bour basically be the starting every day DH and 1B? Will both Ward and Fletcher make the team then? Or does Matt Thais or Jared Walsh break with the big club? Three Catchers? 

I know this will all be solved in ST, but also think that they could be in the market for one more OF bat who can also play 1st.

[Second Base]

10 minutes ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

That would be to play in games. He won’t need a real rehab assignment, per se, since he doesn’t have to play in the field. 

You’ll recall he was cleared to hit last year about June 25 and he was playing in games on July 5.

That was him in mid-season form, also having been a full participant in Spring Training. And that's ultimately what concerns me with Ohtani. Guys coming off surgery or injury that don't have a Spring Training frequently suck for the first couple months back. If he isn't back until May, it might be June or July before we see Ohtani in the same form he was in for much of 2018. 

[Jeff Fletcher]

27 minutes ago, Second Base said:

That was him in mid-season form, also having been a full participant in Spring Training. And that's ultimately what concerns me with Ohtani. Guys coming off surgery or injury that don't have a Spring Training frequently suck for the first couple months back. If he isn't back until May, it might be June or July before we see Ohtani in the same form he was in for much of 2018. 

I bet he’s going to be able to swing in spring training. It will just be a matter of him getting his timing off live pitching. In spring training guys get maybe 50-70 PAs.  He can do that in a week at extended spring. 

[Second Base]

1 hour ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

I bet he’s going to be able to swing in spring training. It will just be a matter of him getting his timing off live pitching. In spring training guys get maybe 50-70 PAs.  He can do that in a week at extended spring. 

I don't think it's the plate appearances that's the problem. There's just something about the schedule that throws players off, at least as it seems to me.

[Blarg]

3 hours ago, Randy Gradishar said:

I liked him finishing the season last year, but those "get the surgery" guys are potentially going to look pretty good if he doesn't start the season.

I don't mean when he initially went down, but when he came back and then shut the pitching down for good. Those extra few weeks might be eating into 2019.

Those few extra weeks bought him ROY which I believe is a fair tradeoff. 

[Stradling]

1 minute ago, Blarg said:

Those few extra weeks bought him ROY which I believe is a fair tradeoff. 

It also showed us he can hit lefties.

[jessecrall]

1 hour ago, RBM said:

Did Ohtani hit lefties better at the end of the season? His splits for the year were not good at all.

LHP .222 / .300 / .354 / .654 / 2 HR

RHP .313 / .387 / .656 / 1.043 / 20 HR

Justin Bour is also not good against LHP's and Pujols is equally good/bad against both. It could present a lineup flaw against LHP's so I think they could use a solid right handed hitting 4th outfielder who could spell Ohtani/Bour/Calhoun against LHP’s. 

I can't find specific data quickly enough to make it worth my while but he definitely improved statistically against lefties as the season went on. Coming into September, he had a .509 OPS against them so if he ended at .654, he obviously made serious progress over the last month. He also LOOKED much more comfortable against them in the 2nd half. He didn't have the "bailing out on pitches that hit the inside corner" or "flailing at breaking balls low and away" at bats that we saw early on. 

[Jeff Fletcher]

He hit something like .300 against lefties in September.