The Los Angeles Angels announced that Shohei Ohtani will make his season debut on Tuesday night in Detroit, batting third against the Tigers.
He will be returning just seven months after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Ohtani, the reigning American League Rookie of the Year after finishing 2018 with a .925 OPS and a 3.31 ERA, will boost a lineup that is desperate for protection behind Mike Trout, who leads the majors with 31 walks.
The 24-year-old Ohtani, who will help only as a designated hitter this season, said last week that his timing was "getting better each day" and that he was "a little ahead of schedule" with his rehab.