The Angels hope that Ohtani (ankle, elbow) will be able to make two or three starts per week as a designated hitter, though manager Mike Scioscia noted the 23-year-old's greatest impact will come on the mound, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports. "He's probably going to influence our team more as a pitcher," Scioscia said. "But that's not to say he's not going to have a chance to make a difference on the offensive end, too."
Ohtani, who is easing back to full strength from a Grade 1 UCL sprain and an October ankle procedure, threw his first bullpen session of the spring Thursday and looks on track to be ready for the start of the season. In an effort to make the lefty's transition from Nippon Professional Baseball to MLB as seamless as possible, Scioscia said the Angels would deploy a six-man rotation to open the season, thereby allowing Ohtani to remain on the once-a-week pitching regimen he used in Japan. Though there's a good chance Ohtani will have his innings capped at some point in the second half if he stays healthy, his 100 mile-per-hour fastball and deep selection of breaking pitches could make him an elite fantasy option right away, at least on a per-start basis.