The idea of using Shohei Ohtani as a closer has been floated a lot since the news broke of his Tommy John surgery recommendation, but it's not one the Angels are seriously considering right now. I don't think the Angels would be maximizing Ohtani's value as a pitcher by using him out of the bullpen, and there's no compelling evidence that shows that a reliever's workload puts less stress on the elbow than a starter's.
Manager Mike Scioscia reiterated these points when asked about the possibility on Sunday.
"Nobody has a crystal ball, but I would think that would be the wrong path to take with Shohei because he's shown no issues with being able to get into that 100-110 pitch count and being able to bounce back," Scioscia said.