Baseball

Shohei Ohtani Leaves Angels Game with Blister after Giving Up Consecutive Homers

AP Photo/Denis Poroy
Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani winds up during the first inning of the team’s baseball game against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday, July 4, 2023, in San Diego.

10:29 JST, July 5, 2023

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Shohei Ohtani left the Los Angeles Angels’ game Tuesday against the San Diego Padres with a blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand.

The two-way star exited after giving up consecutive home runs to Xander Bogaerts and Jake Cronenworth with none out in the sixth inning.

The right-hander’s start had been pushed back a day due to a cracked fingernail. His velocity was down Tuesday, and he left trailing 5-1. Ohtani made the last out at the plate in the top of the sixth and it wasn’t immediately clear if he would remain in the lineup as the Angels’ designated hitter.

He left his previous start as a pitcher but remained in the game as the DH and homered, giving him 10 strikeouts and two home runs in a 4-2 win against the Chicago White Sox.

Ohtani’s exit came several hours after the Angels learned they’ll be without fellow All-Star slugger Mike Trout for several weeks because of a broken left wrist.

Ohtani became a two-way All-Star for the third straight year when he was picked for the American League pitching staff by players on Sunday, 10 days after fans voted him to start at designated hitter. Also on Sunday, Ohtani and Trout homered in the same game for the 30th time, helping the Angels beat Arizona 5-2.