The workload questions for two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani immediately were answered when he put on a show for the Los Angeles Angels, turning himself into a superstar nobody had ever seen.
Since he does do more than most MLB players, one Hall of Famer is concerned that he’s overexerting himself.
“I hope he can do it for the foreseeable future,” John Smoltz told Fox Sports. “I really do, but I’ll tell you this: He’s got to dial it back. In my opinion, I don’t think you can keep throwing 94 mph sliders and split-fingers and 100 mph fastballs. I would love to see him dial it back and become the great athlete that he is.”
Smoltz went on to say there isn’t anything wrong with the speed Ohtani’s throwing by any means, but let’s not forget — he’s had arm issues. He’s not going to pitch during the 2024 season after undergoing surgery to repair an elbow ligament.
While vague about the surgery, it wasn’t exactly Tommy John which he had previously.
“He’s such a good athlete,” Smoltz added. “He could pitch at any level he wants to from a standpoint of velocity. So hopefully, he’ll make the necessary changes. Technically, this is the second Tommy John even though it may not have been the full Tommy John surgery, but I hope he dials it back. This is what I don’t understand in the game — and we’ve talked about it until we’re nauseous — a 3.00 ERA is OK. You don’t have to have a 1.70 ERA; you don’t have to strike out 14 guys a game. I think at some point, we’re going to get back to health is going to be more important than dominance. And if you can do both of them, golly, would that be incredible?”
Ohtani this season is batting .318/.395/.626 with 97 hits and 23 home runs.
” … the Dodgers have sustained the same kind of injuries, but Ohtani has been dynamic,” Smoltz added. “He’s been everything they could ask for, and time will tell whether he’s able to combine pitching and hitting to the degree he did with the Angels.”
With the Angels, he was a two-time MVP, three-time All-Star selection, earned Rookie of the Year honors in 2018, and broke countless records in the process.
