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Manager Brad Ausmus said Saturday that Ohtani (elbow) won't be activated from the Angels' injured list before May, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Ohtani, who began his throwing program this week while he works back from Tommy John surgery, isn't scheduled to pitch this season but remains on track to serve as a designated hitter for the club. Earlier in the offseason, there was some optimism that Ohtani might receive clearance to enter the lineup at some point during the first month of 2019, but Ausmus has dismissed that possibility in recognition of where the two-way phenom currently stands in his rehab. Ohtani is merely hitting soft toss at this point, so he'll need to advance to live batting practice before the Angels even clear him to get at-bats in simulated games or minor-league rehab games. It will likely take at least a few weeks for Ohtani to take enough swings against live pitching before the Angels consider activating him, a reality that may make it difficult to justify rostering him in leagues with limited bench spots.

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