Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani was scratched Monday night, and missed his club’s 8-5 win over the Seattle Mariners, while he continues to deal with a strained right oblique.
Ohtani was injured during batting practice before the Angels’ 6-3 loss to Baltimore last week. The slugger has missed the last eight games.
He was slated to play Monday, but he was replaced late at designated hitter by Mike Moustakas, who went 2-for-4 in the win.
“He warmed up, went through all his treatment, took some swings in the cage and he just doesn’t quite feel 100 percent,” Angels manager Phil Nevin said of Ohtani before the game. “And I understand that. He came to me and said ‘Today is not the day yet.'”
The 29-year-old Ohtani could be back in the lineup either Tuesday or Wednesday.
“He feels confident that it’s any day now,” Nevin said. “He wants to play, that’s the key.”
Ohtani already has been shut down for the season as a pitcher. He is likely headed for some sort of procedure to heal a ligament tear in his pitching elbow.
The 29-year-old All-Star is eligible for free agency after this season. He is batting .304 with 44 homers, 95 RBIs and 20 steals. He finished his pitching ledger at 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA in 23 starts on the mound, making a strong bid for his his second AL MVP award in three seasons.
The Angels have been beset by injuries to their star players this season, with Anthony Rendon (shin) and Mike Trout (hand) also missing extended time.
