MESA, Ariz. — Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Angels’ big acquisition from Japan, is struggling at the plate and on the mound this spring.
But Bob Melvin expects to see much better when the A’s open the regular season with a four-game home series in Oakland. That’s where Ohtani is in line to make his major league debut.
“We know he’s a very talented guy,” the A’s manager said Thursday.
The Angels signed the ballyhooed 23-year-old Japanese star in December. Ohtani is attempting to become the first player since Babe Ruth in 1919 to be a starting pitcher and an everyday player.