LA Angels superstar Shohei Otani exposed abnormalities ahead of the FA.
Otani played as a starting pitcher and second batter in the first game of the 2023 Major League Baseball doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds at LA Angel Stadium on the 24th. Ohtani hit a home run in his first at-bat in the first inning, but suddenly came down from the mound after one out in the second inning. He finished the game with one scoreless inning, one hit in one at-bats (one home run), and two RBIs. The Angels lost 4-9.
The fact that the four-seam fastball speed fell nearly 6km, that he was excluded from the rotation for the same reason before, and that he was completely excluded from the batter's box raised anxiety. For now, the key is whether it is possible to take the mound next time or the rest of the season.
The start was fresh. Otani finished the first inning with three outs. TJ Fry grounded out to infield and struck out Matt McClain and De La Cruz.
In the bottom of the first inning, he hit a two-run homer. Otani exploded the cannon after leadoff hitter Luis Renhipo walked on base. Ohtani hit the first four-seam fastball and crossed the right-center fence. He recorded his 44th home run of the season, ranking first in all major league home runs.
But I couldn't laugh. An unusual occurrence occurred in the top of the second inning. Otani walked leadoff hitter Spencer Steyer. Subsequent Joey Votto grounded out to shortstop.
Otani later complained of pain. The Angels suddenly replaced the pitcher with Tyler Anderson. Ohtani didn't even bat in the bottom of the third inning. The pinch hitter Nolan Shanuel came in. He also hinted that it was impossible to hit.
The Angels officially announced, "Ottani was excluded from today's game due to arm fatigue symptoms." 스포츠토토
Otani has already taken a two-week break. Ohtani missed the rotation after playing against the San Francisco Giants on the 10th. The Angels said it was because of "arm fatigue" at the time. In a game against the Seattle Mariners on the 4th, Ohtani suffered a twitch in his finger while pitching and was substituted after four innings.
Sports media "The Athletic" said, "Ottani faced six batters, but his speed dropped significantly. Swiffer averaged 4.7 miles (about 7.5 km) and four-seam fastball averaged 3.7 miles (about 6 km). It may be related to Otani's fatigue over the past month. We have to wait and see if Otani will be able to take the mound again this season,' he said.