“Ohtani took a swing!”

Shohei Ohtani (LA Angels) recovered from a side injury on the 8th (Korean time) and picked up the bat again. On this day, he was not named in the starting lineup for the game against the Cleveland Guardians, but it could be assumed that his condition was better than on the 7th, when he could not even train before the game.

Chunichi Sports, a Japanese sports media outlet, reported, “Ohtani took a swing! He even ran with a happy face. However, he was left out of the starting lineup for four consecutive games.” Just taking a swing becomes news.

Ohtani has not played as a hitter since the game against the Oakland Athletics on the 4th. After damage to his right elbow ligaments was discovered in the game against the Cincinnati Reds on the 24th of last month, he decided to immediately concentrate on being a designated hitter, but even this ended in an accident 10 days later.

Ohtani felt something wrong with his side while training ahead of the game against the Baltimore Orioles on the 5th. The Angels had to put Brandon Drury in the number 2 designated hitter spot that had previously belonged to Ohtani.메이저놀이터

While the mystery of whether or not he had to undergo elbow surgery has not been fully resolved, Ohtani’s remaining season has become even more uncertain due to the side injury. Still, good news came out on the 8th. Unlike the previous day, he showed his body that his condition had improved as he participated in batting training and warm-up before the game.

Chunichi Sports said, “It’s been three days since Otani injured his right side during batting practice. On the 8th, he swung the bat. He came out of the clubhouse wearing a red T-shirt, shorts, and gloves around 4 p.m., two and a half hours before the game started. The destination was: “It was an indoor batting cage. Ohtani entered the cage once, then came out to the ground with a bat and swung with 70-80% of his power. Then he entered the cage again,” the report said.

Angels manager Phil Nevin explained before the game on the 7th, “Ohtani warmed up in the cage, but did not swing.” A day later, Otani’s condition improved and he even ran on the ground after finishing batting training. Chunichi Sports wrote, “He had a bright smile and a happy face.”

Coach Nevin explained the reason for excluding him from the starting lineup, saying, “It was a good move. Although it is difficult to be a starter, there is a chance to be a pinch hitter,” and “I don’t want to take a risk.” He also said that Ohtani could soon start as the designated hitter, saying, “It’s a day or two away.”

This is the first time in three years that Ohtani has missed three consecutive games since September 18-20, 2020. If the pinch hitter is canceled, he will miss 4 consecutive games.

Meanwhile, Ohtani appeared in 23 games as a pitcher and pitched 132 innings, recording 10 wins, 5 losses, an ERA of 3.14, and 167 strikeouts.

As a hitter, he posted a batting average of 0.304, an OPS of 1.066, 44 home runs, 20 stolen bases, and 95 RBI in 135 games. He ranks first in the American League in home runs, and ranks first in the Major League in on-base percentage (0.412), slugging percentage (0.654), and OPS.