It was supposed to be a breakout year for Shohei Ohtani, who was returning to two-way status after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2018 that kept him from pitching last year.

Then the COVID-19 pandemic altered Ohtani’s rehab plan, and he wasn’t able to utilize Minor League games to build up his arm strength. He made just two starts before suffering a forearm/elbow strain on Aug. 2 that caused the Angels to shut him down from pitching this season. He has served exclusively as designated hitter since then but has struggled this year, batting .188/.292/.369 with seven homers and 24 RBIs in 43 games, entering the last game of the season Sunday.

“Obviously the numbers show I didn’t have a great year,” Ohtani said through interpreter Ippei Mizuhara. “I’m fully aware of that. And I found a lot of things I need to work on in the offseason. It’s kind of the same every year, but this year is a little bit different.”

Ohtani, 26, said he’s still not sure when he’ll begin his throwing program to get ready for next season, as the Angels plan to have him return to two-way status again next year. He has too much talent and had too much success as a rookie in 2018 for the Angels to give up on him as a pitcher. He won American League Rookie of the Year honors in 2018, going 4-2 with a 3.31 ERA in 10 starts on the mound, while also batting .285/.361/.564 with 22 homers and 61 RBIs in 104 games.

Ohtani, though, is likely to see this as his last chance as a two-way player, as one more injury could force him to become a full-time position player. The Angels already have had him work out in right field and at first base this season to increase his versatility. But Ohtani said his desire to both pitch and hit has not wavered.

"I feel the exact same way about being a two-way player as I did in the past," Ohtani said. "I just need to get past me being able to throw without any worries or any setbacks, and once I get through that point, I think everything's going to fall in place."

Maddon holds team meeting
After the Angels’ 7-6 loss to the Dodgers on Saturday night, manager Joe Maddon hosted a team meeting to praise the club for the way they played down the stretch. The Angels weren’t eliminated from the postseason until Friday, as they had a 14-7 record in September to that point.

"I feel really good about what we've done this year, how we've come back,” Maddon said. “I spoke specifically of that, of the group and the heart. This group, these are like first-class individuals in this locker room. They really are. When you address them, when you talk to them one on one or en masse, the respect they throw back at you, it's kind of spectacular."