Baseball

Angels Star Shohei Ohtani (oblique) Scratched from Lineup

AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani walks to the dugout after being left on first base during the first inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 3, 2023.

Reuters

12:55 JST, September 5, 2023

Los Angeles Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani was scratched from Monday night’s game against the visiting Baltimore Orioles due to right oblique tightness.

Ohtani was originally slated to bat second as the designated hitter. Brandon Drury will take his spot in the lineup.

Ohtani, 29, was diagnosed last month with a tear in the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, but the Angels have allowed him to continue to bat. He went 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA across 23 starts this season before he was shut down as a pitcher.

Through 135 games this season, Ohtani is hitting .304 with an American League-leading 44 homers and 95 RBIs. He currently shares the major league lead for home runs along with the Atlanta Braves’ Matt Olson.

A three-time All-Star and the 2021 AL MVP, Ohtani is a career .274 hitter with 171 homers and 437 RBIs. He also owns a 38-19 record to go along with a 3.01 ERA in 86 starts during his five seasons with the Angels.

Drury, 31, is batting .263 with 19 homers and 65 RBIs through 101 games this season.

Los Angeles entered Monday at 64-73, 13 games back in the AL West and 12 games behind the Rangers in the AL wild-card race. Texas holds the third and final playoff berth.