Will Shohei Otani (29, LA Angels) end the season like this? There was talk that Otani’s locker room was empty.스포츠토토
MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, reported on the 16th (Korean time), “After the game between the Angels and Detroit Tigers, Ohtani’s locker was cleaned.”
It’s shocking. Angels manager Phil Nevin hinted that Ohtani would return, but this was not true. As soon as the game ended, no trace of Ohtani disappeared.
The Angels team did not provide any explanation regarding this, but only said that they would announce detailed information on the 17th.
According to the media, Ohtani did train before the game that day. But he did not participate in the game. He has missed 11 consecutive games.
Ohtani complained of discomfort in his side during pre-game training on the 5th and ended up missing the game that day. A subsequent examination revealed inflammation on his right side. It was reported that he was not seriously injured. So he thought he could come back soon.
Ohtani also quickly shook off his injury and began preparing for his return by resuming indoor training and light training, including starting his swing.
He was named in the starting lineup ahead of the Seattle Mariners game on the 12th. However, his name was dropped just before the game. The pain came again.
In the end, Otani’s absence record increased to 11 games as he missed the game on the 16th.
But the problem is that Ohtani’s locker was emptied after the game ended. All of Otani’s items, including baseball bats and gloves, disappeared. Is it really out of season? Or is he going to get on the operating table?
In fact, Ohtani started on the 24th of last month in the first game of a doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds. He came down after 1⅓ innings. This is because his elbow condition was not good. Ultimately, an MRI revealed that his elbow ligaments were torn. This is an injury connected to Tommy John surgery.
Ohtani did not choose between surgery or rehabilitation and instead appeared only as a batsman. Then he suffered an injury to his side.
Locally, there is also talk about the possibility of Otani having surgery.
When Otani’s locker was emptied, the people who were more surprised than anyone else were his colleagues. According to Japan’s Full Count, outfielder Brett Phillips, who entered the clubhouse after the game and saw Ohtani’s empty locker, was confused and said, “Where did Ohtani go? I didn’t know.” It is said that there was no interpreter from Otani at the stadium that day. Ohtani reportedly left the clubhouse immediately after the game ended.
Ohtani appeared in 135 games as a hitter this season, recording a batting average of 0.304, 44 home runs, 95 RBIs, 20 stolen bases, and an OPS of 1.066. Due to these performances, Ohtani is currently being mentioned as a strong MVP candidate. As a pitcher, he started 23 games and recorded 10 wins, 5 losses, and an ERA of 3.14 in 132 innings.
As Ohtani’s locker room empties, concerns are growing about his physical condition. He cannot ignore the possibility of being out for the season.