Manager Phil Nevin said Sunday superstar pitcher and batter Shohei Otani will miss the Los Angeles Angels’ next major league start scheduled for Tuesday (Wednesday) due to arm fatigue.
The 29-year-old Japanese two-way threat, the first regular No. 1 hitter and pitcher since Babe Ruth more than a century ago, will remain in the lineup as the Angels’ designated hitter.
But Nevin said Otani asked to skip this week’s pitching rotation to rest his right arm.
Shohei asked to leave out one start because of the arm fatigue he said,” Nevin said. “There is no pain or injury. Just because of a little arm fatigue, he will miss one start and go straight back to his original position.” That would put Otani’s next start back to a home game against the Cincinnati Reds on Aug. 21 or 22. 토토사이트넷
Otani was the American League Most Valuable Player in 2021 and is a strong contender for the award again this year.
He started 22 times this season, recording 10 wins, 5 losses, 3.17 ERA and 165 strikeouts in 130 2/3 innings
Otani leads the AL with a .305 batting average and 40 home runs and 83 runs in 116 games. He has 20 doubles, 7 triples, and 16 steals.
Otani hasn’t allowed an earned run in 19 innings in his last three starts. He started the game against Seattle on August 3 without losing a point in four innings due to a right middle finger spasm, but pitched six innings against San Francisco last Wednesday.
Otani pitched 166 innings in 28 starts last year, recording a 2.33 ERA and 219 strikeouts.
Otani won’t miss his time as a designated hitter as he has an off-day scheduled for Thursday.
The Angels are 58-60, 6.5 games behind Toronto for their final wildcard playoff berth in the American League.
Otani was considered a trade target on the transfer deadline, but the Angels announced they would hold him in the final month of their contract in hopes of making the playoffs.
The Angels haven’t made the MLB Playoffs since 2014 and haven’t won a playoff series since 2009.