ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Shohei Ohtani is now, precisely, seven months removed from Tommy John surgery. He has taken 31 at-bats in simulated-game environments. His timing, he said, is on point. His body "feels great."
And yet Ohtani remains on the injured list and in recovery. The Los Angeles Angels, predictably cautious with their young two-way sensation, won't reinsert him into their lineup until sometime next week, at the earliest.
"I'm pretty impatient to begin with, so I am getting a little impatient," Ohtani said through an interpreter Wednesday afternoon. "But as I get closer and closer, the more impatient I'm getting.