The Los Angeles Angels, despite not exactly being in a favorable position to make the playoffs, decided to hold on to Shohei Ohtani and make some huge additions leading up to the trade deadline. But the last thing the Angels will need in their bid to make the postseason is any sort of injury to Ohtani that could hamper the two-way star's performance.

On Thursday night, Ohtani had to step off the mound after just four innings. Despite pitching four scoreless innings (striking out four), the Japanese international had to be relieved by Jose Soriano. And it may be due to the cramping he's been experiencing over the past week or so, per Sam Blum of The Athletic.

Even then, Shohei Ohtani's future playing status is not set in stone one way or another. Blum added that Ohtani didn't give any definitive response as to whether he'd need to miss a start or take a few days off from hitting.

It seems like the injury doesn't appear to be anything too major, although Ohtani's cramping problems will remain an area of concern for the Angels, who fell to 56-52 after their loss to the Seattle Mariners on Thursday. Blum added that Ohtani experienced cramping on his right middle finger, an area of his body in which he's had some blister/cracked nail issues in the last six weeks. And the pain reached the point that Ohtani had to stop pitching.

But at the very least, Shohei Ohtani's finger cramping did not affect his comfort level at the plate one bit. Despite exiting the mound early in the contest, Ohtani remained in the game as the Angels' designated hitter. And in doing so, he even hit a solo home run in the eighth inning to give the Angels a 3-1 lead that they would relinquish in the top of the ninth inning on a grand slam.

The Angels' schedule is only going to get more difficult from here. In addition to three more games against the Mariners in this current series, they will face five teams currently sitting in playoff positions in their next five series. They will need Ohtani to be healthy and at his best so they can remain in the hunt for a playoff spot.