Angels' Shohei Ohtani: Could pitch from start of season

Ohtani may be available to pitch from the start of the season, given that Opening Day has been delayed indefinitely, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Ohtani's value has always been heavily dependent on how various leagues allow him to be used. Previously, fantasy owners could count on him to hit all season, but he wasn't expected to pitch before mid-May as he's still working his way back from Tommy John surgery. With mid-May now seeming like the earliest play is likely to resume, Ohtani could now be a full two-way player for the entirety of the campaign. Manager Joe Maddon did note, however, that the Angels won't be wanting to give Ohtani a full workload in his first season back from injury, so whether he pitches right away could depend in part on how long the adjusted regular-season schedule ends up being.