Joe Maddon dropped a big “if” Monday afternoon.
“I can’t emphasize this enough,” the Angels’ manager said, responding to a question about his expectations this season for two-way star Shohei Ohtani. “If he stays healthy, all expectations are gonna be met. He is going to be able to pitch really well. He is going to be able to hit really well. He’s going to run and steal some bases. He’s gonna do all those things.”
And why not? Entering Monday, Ohtani was having a storybook spring training, back at full strength and reigniting baseball’s imagination.