There is no brighter star in the MLB universe than Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Despite ranking second in the majors with 27 home runs, Ohtani will not be present for one of the All-Star Game’s most prominent features.
There is little in sports quite like seeing the towering drives off the bats of the game’s greatest hitters, but fans at Globe Life Field in Arlington will miss a memorable spectacle on July 15.
Fox Sports MLB reported that Ohtani revealed he will not participate in the Home Run Derby at this year’s Mid-Summer Classic.
“I’m in the middle of my rehab progression, so it’s not going to look like I’ll be participating,” he said.
Shohei Ohtani won’t participate in the Home Run Derby.https://t.co/cJZHQotACy
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 3, 2024
After signing the richest contract in baseball history, Ohtani is not pitching this season as he is rehabbing an injured elbow ligament.
He is far from the first player to forego the Home Run Derby, and some believe that participating in the hitting exercise is detrimental to a player’s well-tuned swing.
The Dodgers organization stands behind their superstar, noting that he signed the 10-year, $700 million deal to bring a World Series title to LA.
Ohtani only participated in one such event, and in 2021 at Coors Field, he was knocked out in the first round.
But the Japanese superstar’s natural power and athleticism make him a favorite for launching baseballs out of the park, and fans will likely be treated to that sight in future All-Star festivities.
However, with rehabbing his elbow as the top priority, baseball will miss its star attraction at the Home Run Derby in Texas.
