Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani was expected to serve as the designated hitter during Monday’s tilt against the Orioles, but was scratched from the lineup a bit over an hour before first pitch, per an announcement from the team.
The organization indicated that Ohtani would be unavailable for the game against Baltimore due to right oblique tightness.
Ohtani took batting practice ahead of the game on Monday but was later removed from the lineup, which originally had him listed as the team’s No. 2 hitter.
This marks the first game Ohtani will miss since the team announced he’d been diagnosed with a partial tear in his ulnar collateral ligament on August 24.
Earlier on Monday, Ohtani’s agent Nez Balelo spoke to reporters and addressed the superstar’s elbow injury, which he stated will require some type of procedure. Balelo indicated the 29-year-old intends to play next year as a designated hitter.
Anaheim enters play on Monday as losers of its last three games, and six of its last seven.
Across 135 games this season, Ohtani owns a league-best 1.066 OPS with 44 home runs and 95 RBI.
