Los Angeles Angels two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani asked to miss his next scheduled start from the mound due to arm fatigue, manager Phil Nevin said Sunday.
Ohtani, who is 10-5 with a 3.17 ERA in 22 starts this season, was slated to pitch on Wednesday against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas. Nevin said that the right-hander will return to the rotation during a series against the visiting Cincinnati Reds that begins Aug. 21.
“I’ve told you guys many times he knows his body better than anybody,” Nevin said Sunday. “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.”
Ohtani will not take any time off as the team’s designated hitter, Nevin said.
“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.”
Ohtani won his third straight decision on Wednesday after allowing one (unearned) run on three hits in six innings of a 4-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants.
Ohtani, 29, is 2-0 in his last three outings after permitting just one unearned run on seven hits in 19 innings.
At the plate, Ohtani is hitting .305 — good for fourth in the American League — and leads the league with 40 home runs, 74 walks and a .407 on-base percentage. He stands atop the majors with a .661 slugging percentage and is tied for the lead in triples with seven entering play Sunday.
Also on Sunday, the Angels reinstated right-hander Griffin Canning from the injured list.
Canning, who had been dealing with right calf tightness, is 6-4 with a 4.46 ERA in 16 starts this season.
The 27-year-old is 18-17 with a 4.65 ERA over 59 career games (57 starts) with the Angels since debuting in 2019. He missed the 2022 season with a stress fracture in his lower back.
–Field Level Media
