Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani missed his 10th straight game on Wednesday.
His name was left out of the lineup for the matchup against the Mariners in Seattle. The Japanese player has been suffering from a right oblique strain since September 4th. He was injured during batting practice.
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Ohtani, who plays as a designated hitter and pitcher, will not take the mound again in 2023 because of a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. In fact, it’s likely he won’t be able to throw the ball next season.
Therefore, he ended his season as a pitcher with a record of 10-5. In 23 starts, the 29-year-old had a 3.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts.
As a hitter, Ohtani has a 3.04 plate average. In 135 games he had 151 hits, including 44 home runs.
Dodgers still interested
The Nippon could be the most sought-after free agent in Major League Baseball this fall, and his elbow injury doesn’t appear to be bothering a team that wants him.
On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Times reported that the Los Angeles Dodgers still had strong interest in Ohtani and would be very aggressive in luring him into their fold.
The club would have the option to release several veterans to gain financial flexibility, including Lance Lynn, Joe Kelly and Blake Treinen.
So far, Ohtani has not announced his plans for next season. However, his agent has indicated that he intends to continue working at both positions once he recovers from his elbow injury.