Despite being scheduled to make his 23rd start on the mound on Wednesday, Shohei Ohtani will not be pitching for the Los Angeles Angels this week. Angels manager Phil Nevin revealed Ohtani requested a night off after Saturday night’s game due to arm fatigue.
Ohtani is not injured. He simply just needs some rest. The AL MVP candidate is expected to return to the starting rotation when the Cincinnati Reds visit L.A. starting on August 21. Nevin doesn’t sound concerned about the team’s two-way superstar.
“I’ve told you guys many times he knows his body better than anybody. 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.”
Angels manager Phil Nevin on Shohei Ohtani
- Shohei Ohtani’s stats this season: 10-5, 3.17 ERA, 1.064 WHIP, 130.2 IP, 165 strikeouts
Ohtani is already up to 130 innings pitched this season, and his career-high came last year when he took the mound for 166 innings. His MVP season came with Ohtani pitching 130.1 innings in 2021. Even though he’s admittedly tired, Ohtani hasn’t been charged with an earned run allowed in any of his past three starts, which includes a complete game shutout against Detroit on July 27.
Meanwhile, even though he won’t be taking the mound for at least a week, Ohtani’s bat works just fine, and he’s not expected to take any time away from the plate. In fact, he blasted his AL-leading 41st home run during Sunday’s 2-1 win over the Houston Astros. In the midst of another fantastic season, Ohtani will continue that effort from the batter’s box instead of on the mound until Cincinnati comes to town.
Related: 2023 MLB power rankings: See where Shohei Ohtani’s Angels rank