Baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani might be done pitching for the Los Angeles Angels this season. Ohtani will not make his scheduled start for the Angels on Friday because of a sore right arm, a condition that may sideline him for the rest of the 2021 MLB campaign.
Angels manager Joe Maddon revealed the unfortunate development before Thursday's game against the Chicago White Sox, saying that he may not pitch anymore this season if there's any lingering soreness with Ohtani's arm.
Ohtani's 10-win bid to fall short due to right arm soreness?
Ohtani experienced soreness in his right arm on Wednesday while playing catch. The last time he saw action on the mound was on September 10, when he surrendered six runs on nine hits in just 3 1/3 innings of action in a loss to the Houston Astros. That 10-5 defeat to Houston prevented Ohtani from recording his 10th win of the season, a feat he wants to accomplish before the year ends.
Maddon acknowledged that Ohtani would like to continue pitching to reach that magic number, but the Angels manager said, "you can't let that be the driving factor." The 27-year-old is just one victory away from notching double-digit wins and homers in a single season; a feat last accomplished 103 years ago by the great Babe Ruth.
Ohtani experiencing fatigue at this late stage of the regular season is understandable given the amount of work he has done for the Angels both at the plate and on the mound. He has already thrown 115 1/3 innings this season, more than double what he pitched combined in the 2019 and 2020 campaigns.
Considering that the Angels are already out of the playoff picture with just 16 games remaining in the regular season, it would indeed be wise to shut down Ohtani and not overwork him in the next couple of weeks.
Maddon insists this is just a precautionary measure and that he doesn't believe the Japanese star is dealing with a long-term injury problem. Ohtani has already made 21 starts this season, posting a 9-2 record with 136 strikeouts and an ERA of just 3.36.
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Home run chase still on for Ohtani
The good news for Ohtani fans is that Shohei, the hitter, will still be making appearances for the Angels. Ohtani is currently locked in a heated battle with Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Kansas City Royals Salvador Perez in the race to become the league's home run king this year.
Guerrero and Perez have surged past Ohtani in this particular department, blasting 45 homers apiece with just two weeks remaining in the regular season. Ohtani's home run rate has slowed down after the All-Star break, with the Japanese star now in third place with 44 dingers.
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