Shohei Ohtani beginning preparation for switch to position player?

Shohei Ohtani entered MLB with the intent of being a two-way player and plans to continue working towards that goal. But he is open to the possibility of becoming solely a position player, and he may be taking steps towards that transition.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Ohtani took fly balls in right field and ground balls at first base during batting practice for the Angels at Minute Maid Park this week.

Ohtani is in his third MLB season since moving from Japan. As a pitcher for the Angels, he was limited to just 10 starts as a rookie in 2018, missed all of 2019 due to Tommy John surgery, and only made two starts this season before being shut down due to his elbow.

Conversely, and perhaps surprisingly, Othani has been a much more valuable contributor as a hitter. In 232 career games, Ohtani has batted .274/.340/.517 with an .857. He has 45 doubles and 45 career home runs.

The Angels are not abandoning the pitching aspect of Ohtani’s repertoire, but they are doing some work that could eventually lead to him playing in the field.

Ohtani previously said that he was open to making a switch, though he didn’t want to give up his dream of playing both ways.