Angels DH Shohei Ohtani scuffled in his first five games of the season, registering just four hits (all singles) in 24 trips to the plate. He got on the board in a big way on Monday night against the Twins, blasting a two-run home run off of José Berríos in the third inning to give the Angels a 3-2 lead.
Ohtani underwent Tommy John surgery after the 2018 season, which means he won’t be pitching until 2020. He needed to miss only the first 34 games of the 2019 season as a batter and will serve as a DH for the rest of the season.
Last year, Ohtani earned AL Rookie of the Year Award honors, batting .285/.361/.564 with 22 home runs, 61 RBI, 59 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases while also compiling as a pitcher a 3.31 ERA with a 63/22 K/BB ratio across 51 2/3 innings.