Shohei Ohtani says he believes he can get back on the mound for the Los Angeles Angels after throwing well in a simulated game just hours before hitting his 15th homer of the season and joining Babe Ruth in a historic benchmark.

As part of his comeback from a sprained elbow ligament, Ohtani threw 50 pitches in three innings at Angel Stadium on Monday. Angels manager Mike Scioscia said Ohtani will throw a bullpen session later in the week before the Angels determine his next step.

Ohtani's last appearance on the mound for the Angels came on June 6, and the right-hander is hoping to come back to pitch during the Angels' final 30 games. Ohtani got off to a strong start in his first big-league season as a starting pitcher, going 4-1 with a 3.10 ERA in nine starts.

The two-way star may be resting his pitching arm but he's still managing to make his mark at the plate. On Monday night against the Colorado Rockies, Ohtani hit a three-run home run to give the Angels the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. The Angels would go on to win 10-7 (box score, highlights).

With that home run, the two-way phenom joined Jimmy Ryan (1888) and Babe Ruth (1919, 1921) as the only players to hit 15-plus home runs and pick up multiple wins in a season as a pitcher. 

The 24-year-old is batting .276 with 15 home runs and 43 RBI in his rookie season.