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ANAHEIM, Calif .– Shohei Ohtani will pitch for the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday after his aching arm apparently felt much better during a bullpen session.
Ohtani threw about 30 shots on Friday, and the Angels decided their two-way superstar had yet to end up on the mound as they wrapped up another non-playoff season.
Ohtani is 9-2 with a 3.36 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP in 21 shots this season for the Angels, but the AL MVP contender felt arm fatigue Wednesday while playing wrestling. He was also beaten by the Astros last Friday in Houston, allowing six runs and nine hits while failing to come out of the fourth inning of his first loss since May.
Ohtani was designated to pitch Friday against Oakland at the opening of the final Los Angeles homestand, but that start was pushed back on Wednesday as the Angels debated whether to stop him on the mound.
Now Ohtani will face the A’s for the playoffs to close the weekend.
Ohtani has pitched 115 1/3 innings this season while playing almost every day as the Angels designated hitter. He collapsed at bat in the second half of the season, hitting .200 with just seven homers in his previous 44 games before Friday.
He also recently fell behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of Toronto and Salvador Perez of Kansas City in the major league circuit race after maintaining a solid lead for much of the summer.
Ohtani hit a single in the first inning and jumped in the second against the As on Friday night. He started the homestand second in majors for extra-base hits, fourth in slugging percentage and fifth in OPS.
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