OC Register: Angels hope to avoid Shohei Ohtani’s blister being a recurring issue

[AngelsWin.com]

Angels manager Joe Maddon conceded that Shohei Ohtani’s blister issue could be a recurring problem.

That’s what they’re trying to avoid.

“Once a pitcher has that, the tendency is that it continues to come back,” Maddon said on Friday before the Angels’ game against the Toronto Blue Jays in Dunedin, Fla. “I don’t know what the treatment is specifically that they have a lot of confidence in, but they do. So we’ll see. …

“I want to believe that by taking care of it now that later on in the year it’s not going to not pop up again, just based on prevention.”

Ohtani was scheduled to pitch this weekend, but the Angels have pushed him back because of the blister. Ohtani is currently able to throw with a band-aid covering the blister, but he’ll have to get to the point where he can throw a bullpen session without it before he’s cleared to pitch again.

The Angels are hoping that will happen sometime in the next week.

“We want to make sure that it’s well, and it doesn’t continue to pop up,” Maddon said. “That’s it. There’s nothing else to report. He’s fine. Of course, you’d rather he be able to pitch at this moment, but he will.”

Maddon also said on Friday that Ohtani actually started having issues with the blister toward the end of his 92-pitch outing against the Chicago White Sox on Sunday night.

“He wasn’t telling anybody about it either, so that was part of it,” Maddon said. “He got through it and battled through that moment. There’s a lot to love about that performance.”

Maddon said that he’s continued to have good communication with Ohtani and he hoped he hoped that, in the future, Ohtani will let them know a little sooner if he’s having any issues.

“I really want to believe that we’re beyond any kind of holding back any information,” Maddon said. “I think he knows that we have his best interest at heart right now.”

PUJOLS SITS AGAIN

Albert Pujols was out of the Angels’ lineup for the second straight day on Friday, and Maddon conceded that it’s going to be “difficult” to find playing time for Pujols with Ohtani at DH and Jared Walsh playing so well at first.

Maddon said he spoke to Pujols about the situation and believes that Pujols is prepared for this role.

“Albert’s a professional,” Maddon said. “He comes ready every day. He’s very vocal in the meetings. Of course he’d rather be playing, there’s no question about it.”

Maddon said Pujols will probably play on Saturday, with a left-hander starting for the Blue Jays.

RELIEVER UPDATE

Noé Ramirez and AJ Ramos, who both signed minor league deals with the Angels just before the start of the season, have both been pitching in games at the team’s alternate site in Arizona, Maddon said.

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Felix Peña, who is on the injured list because of a hamstring injury, has also pitched in games. The Angels would like to increase his pitch count until he can pitch multiple innings, Maddon said.

ALSO

Maddon said the Angels flipped the order of Alex Cobb and José Quintana this weekend because Cobb also had a minor blister issue. Quintana will pitch on Saturday and Cobb on Sunday, which will be seven days of rest since his previous outing.

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[totdprods]

I’m sure some of this might be a result of him getting back up to a full season grind. No pitching and little baseball the last couple seasons let some of that callous get soft.

Might be recurring for this year but hopefully builds up as it goes on.

 

[T.G.]

Now that ain't workin', that's the way you do it
Lemme tell ya, them guys ain't dumb
Maybe get a blister on your little finger
Maybe get a blister on your thumb
 

[Revad]

I shoulda learned to play guitar