Baseball

Shohei Ohtani Misses 9th Straight Game for Angels Dealing with Oblique Strain

AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez
Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani walks to the dugout after grounding out against the Oakland Athletics during the third inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 1, 2023, in Oakland, Calif.

10:08 JST, September 13, 2023

SEATTLE (AP) — Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani was out of the lineup for his ninth straight game Tuesday as he continues to deal with a right oblique strain.

Angels manager Phil Nevin said he’s moving forward with the idea that the lineup will be absent Ohtani’s name until he says he’s ready to go.

“He’s going to come in and tell me one day he’s ready to play and he’s then he’ll play,” Nevin said.

Ohtani was originally in the lineup for Monday’s series opener in Seattle, but after going through his pregame workout was scratched. Nevin said the earliest they would likely consider getting Ohtani back in the lineup would be Friday when the Angels open a series at home against Detroit.

But Nevin said that if Ohtani walked in the clubhouse before Wednesday’s day game in Seattle and said he was ready there’d be a discussion about putting him back in the lineup.

“When he’s ready to play, when he feels comfortable swinging then he’s going to play,” Nevin said “I get the frustration. I mean, I write his name down, it looks a lot better. I don’t care who’s on your team. I know fans come to see him, especially when we’re at home. And I get that frustration.”

Ohtani got hurt during batting practice before the Angels’ 6-3 loss to Baltimore early last week.

Ohtani already has been shut down for the season as a pitcher. He is likely headed for some sort of procedure to address a ligament tear in his pitching elbow.

Ohtani is eligible for free agency after this season. He is batting .304 with 44 homers, 95 RBIs and 20 steals. He also is 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA in 23 starts on the mound, making a strong bid for his second AL MVP award in three seasons.