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Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani was reportedly scratched from the lineup ahead of Monday's game against the Baltimore Orioles due to right oblique tightness, according to Sam Blum of The Athletic.
The timing of the scratch was confusing, as Shohei Ohtani had reportedly received good news regarding his new UCL tear. The reason for Ohtani being scratched against the Orioles was not initially given, so it made many fans nervous. It is a relief to see that it was an oblique injury, and not anything related to his ongoing elbow problem.
Ohtani's original Tommy John repair is reportedly still intact, and the new tear is in a different place, which is a “best case scenario.”
It will be worth monitoring how this oblique tightness could impact the rest of Ohtani's season. An oblique injury could take months to recover from, depending on the severity. There is no word on the severity of Ohtani's oblique tightness as of right now. The attention will turn to Angels manager Phil Nevin's postgame press conference, unless the team announces something during the game.
If Ohtani's oblique strain is anything significant, it would be the smart move for him to sit out the rest of the season. It would allow him to focus on figuring out what elbow procedure he will need, and limit further risk of injury before he hits free agency this winter.
That might not be in Ohtani's DNA, however. He will likely want to play if he is healthy enough to do so.
It will be interesting to see what Phil Nevin says after the game.
