More Starts On Mound For Shohei Ohtani This Season

If there's anything baseball fans would be glad to see this season, it's more of Shohei Ohtani. That appears to be just what we'll get as Los Angeles Angels manager Phil Nevin  says he will not be sticking to a strict 6-man rotation this season. 

It's all about getting more starts for his best starters—like Cy Young candidate Ohtani.

• Speaking of 6th starters — Phil Nevin said he could see a scenario where the sixth starter is a swing guy. That means starting sometimes and relieving other times. The goal is to get their top starters pitching more regularly, particularly Ohtani.

— Sam Blum (@SamBlum3) February 14, 2023

Per Sam Blum of The Athletic, Nevin says he'd like to use the "6th starter" as more of a swingman who can sometimes start and sometimes come out of the 'pen. 

Ohtani is of course their ace; he went 15-9 with a 2.33 ERA, 219 strikeouts for a league-leading 11.9 K/9, and a 219:44 K/BB ratio. He finished 4th in the Cy Young balloting. 

Tyler Anderson, brought in from free agency this offseason from their crosstown rivals the Dodgers, will likely slot in as the 2nd starter. He had a breakthrough 2022, with a 2.57 ERA and a 138:34 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Patrick Sandoval, Reid Detmers and Jose Suarez fill out the rotation's top five. 

The "Sixth Starter"/Swingman will likely be Tucker Davidson.

Photo: D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports