Shohei Ohtani's return from a grade 2 sprain of his right ulnar collateral ligament continued Thursday when he was medically cleared to begin a throwing program.
The Los Angeles Angels rookie last pitched June 6 and was diagnosed with the injury the next day.
Though there is a chance he could pitch again for the Angels this season, Ohtani, in the best-case scenario, remains several weeks away.
Until he can start really testing the condition of his arm, it will be unclear when he might resume pitching.
With only 10 weeks left in the regular season, the Angels have plenty of time to answer questions regarding Ohtani's availability before 2019 spring training.
Ohtani received injections of platelet-rich plasma and stem cells June 7 and was cleared by Dr. Steve Yoon to swing a bat three weeks later. He rejoined the Angels as a designated hitter July 3. Yoon's latest re-evaluation showed additional healing of the ligament as the Angels hope Ohtani can avoid surgery.
