Shohei Ohtani of the Major League Baseball Angels will also participate as a batter in this season's first pitching game scheduled for the 4th.
It is the first time for Otani to play as a pitcher and a batter at the same time in the official game of Major League Baseball.
Angels coach Maddon said at a pre-match press conference on the 3rd that Otani will start as a pitcher for the first time this season on the 4th, "I'm planning to play as a batter at this point. He says he wants to hit." And revealed that he will participate in the two-sword style.
Since the American League to which the Angels belong is a designated hitter system, pitchers usually do not enter the batting order except when playing against the National League team.
Otani has played pitchers and batters at the same time in two open games this year, and in the game on the 4th, he is expected to release the designated hitter and enter the batting order as a pitcher for the first time in the official game of the major leagues.
Otani, who is aiming to revive the two-sword style of pitching this season, has been playing as a batter since the opening, and was appointed as the second designated hitter in the White Socks game on the 3rd, and pitched for the first time throughout the major league baseball and professional baseball / Nippon-Ham era. I started as a batter the day before.
At the pre-match press conference, Otani said, "I was originally planning to go on a day when I could see my physical condition. I think it will be a decision that includes the physical condition and the match card, rather than taking a rest before and after the pitching. I want to play a player. Of course, I will take a break from games that I think are impossible. "
Regarding the simultaneous participation of pitchers and batters, he said, "If you hit it yourself, you can pitch more aggressively with the mound when you score points."