For Angels, keeping Ohtani and going all in is what baseball’s all about
Mackenzie Salmon and former MLB catcher Erik Kratz discuss the Angels decision to not trade Shohei Ohtani and make a push for a Worlds Series title instead.
Sports Seriously, USA TODAY
Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani is listening to his body.
Ohtani will skip his next scheduled start, Wednesday at the Texas Rangers, because he is experiencing arm fatigue, manager Phil Nevin said Sunday.
“I’ve told you guys many times he knows his body better than anybody,” Nevin told reporters. “I trust him when he talks about it. He’s assured me there’s no pain, there’s no injury. He’s got some regular arm fatigue that some go through at times. I trust him when he tells me this and he’ll be ready for his next time out.”
Nevin stressed that Ohtani is not injured and will return to the Los Angeles rotation during a home series against the Cincinnati Reds that begins Aug. 21. Ohtani, who also serves as L.A.’s designated hitter, will not miss any games as a batter.
“He feels good at the plate,” Nevin said. “He feels healthy swinging at bat. It’s just the (throwing) right now, he’s got some normal arm fatigue that happens at times.”
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Ohtani, 29, is arguably the frontrunner for the AL Most Valuable Player trophy, which would be his second after he won the award two seasons ago. He is hitting .305 with an American League-best 40 home runs and 83 RBI. He leads the majors in slugging (.661) and OPS (1.068) and his home run total is just two shy off the MLB leader, Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson.
On the mound, Ohtani has been equally as effective, going 10-5 in 22 starts with a 3.17 ERA, ranking 10th in the MLB. His WHIP of 1.064 ranks eighth in the majors and his 165 strikeouts is tied for sixth. Opposing batters are hitting just .185 against Ohtani, which leads all pitchers. He has pitched 130 ⅔ innings this season.
