LEADING OFF: Ohtani returns to mound, Jays' Berríos vs Twins

A look at what's happening around the majors on Sunday:

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GO-TANI

Shohei Ohtani is set to pitch for the Angels at home against Oakland a few days after manager Joe Maddon contemplated shutting down the two-way star with arm soreness.

Ohtani was scratched from a scheduled start Friday because of the discomfort but threw a 30-pitch bullpen instead and came out feeling encouraged.

Ohtani is 9-2 with a 3.36 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP in 21 pitching starts this season for the Angels. He has pitched 115 1/3 innings while also playing almost every day as the their designated hitter. He has slumped at the plate in the second half of the season, batting .201 with just seven homers in his previous 45 games before Saturday.

He also recently fell behind Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Kansas City’s Salvador Perez in the major league homers race after holding a healthy lead for much of the summer.

OLD FRIENDS

Blue Jays right-hander José Berríos (11-8, 3.43) is slated to face his former Minnesota teammates for the first time since being traded to Toronto in June. Drafted by the Twins in 2012, Berríos was 55-43 over six seasons before the deal, including 7-5 with a 3.48 ERA this season.

He’s been just as good for the Jays, going 4-3 with a 3.31 ERA over nine starts since the trade. Toronto enters the day half a game ahead of the Yankees for the final AL wild card.

REDS NOT HOT

Cincinnati outfielder Jesse Winker is on the injured list again, an untimely setback for a team trying to stay in the NL wild-card race.

After missing a month with an intercostal strain, he returned to the lineup Friday night and aggravated the same injury on a swing. He was put back on the 10-day IL Saturday.

Winker is hitting .305 with 24 home runs and 71...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/LEADING-OFF-Ohtani-returns-to-mound-Jays-16470221.php