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Eppler: Ohtani 'likely to return' as hitter in '18

Baseball fans clamoring for the return of two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani may get their wish in the coming weeks, at least in a limited capacity.

Angels general manager Billy Eppler made an appearance on MLB Network Radio on Wednesday and told MLB.com's Jim Duquette that Ohtani is "likely to return as a hitter no matter what" happens with the plasma-rich platelet (PRP) injection he received earlier this month for his ailing right elbow. Eppler added that the Angels took the PRP approach with the hope of having Ohtani pitch again this season, and that he would already have been cleared to play as a designated hitter if Los Angeles wasn't also aiming to get him back on the mound in 2018.