Shohei Ohtani (28, Los Angeles Angels), who insisted on batting despite a ruptured elbow ligament, surprised the entire U.S. again by playing an active part with 4 on-base including a double.메이저사이트
On the 26th (hereinafter Korean time), Ohtani started as the designated hitter twice in the first leg of the 3-game expedition against the New York Mets in the 2023 Major League Baseball held at Citi Field in Flushing, New York, USA, and played an active role with 2 at-bats, 1 hit, 3 walks and 1 point. contributed to the 3-1 win.
On the 24th against the Cincinnati Reds, Ohtani suffered an elbow injury while pitching and was knocked out early. As a result of the examination, his right ulnar collateral ligament was damaged and his pitching career was stopped, but he announced his plan to continue playing as a hitter, and after a day break on the 25th, he appeared at bat as usual.
He got on base from the first at-bat. With no runners out in the first inning, he calmly picked up a straight walk against Mets starter Senga Kodai. The moment when he succeeded on base in the last 9 games in a row.
In the third inning, which was still 0-0, he hit a double with a ligament-damaged elbow on first base. In the 1B-2S unfavorable count, he hit Senga’s 86.5 mile (139 km) cutter on the 4th pitch and succeeded in hitting in 3 consecutive games. Even with his elbow injury, he hit a bullet with a batting speed of 115.4 miles (185 km), drawing admiration from local broadcasters, saying, “The injured elbow doesn’t look like a problem at all.” Ohtani then stepped on third base with Drury’s right fielder’s sacrifice fly and then stepped on home when Mustakas’ heavy hit.
[Photo] Shohei Ohtani ⓒGettyimages (Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited)
Ohtani’s on-base show continued. He reached third on base, getting another walk against Senga with no runners out in the fifth inning for a 2–1 lead. Afterwards, after a ground ball by the first baseman in the 8th inning, he had a chance to get 2 out, 1st and 3rd base in the 9th inning, leading 3-1, and played a 4th base game with 4 pitches of automatic intention. The Mets, who skipped Ohtani, caught follow-up Andrew Velázquez on a shortstop grounder and finished the inning without allowing any additional runs. The operation was a success.
Ohtani’s season batting average, which added one hit, rose slightly from 304 to 305.
After the game, MLB.com, the official homepage of Major League Baseball, said, “Despite the shocking news of an elbow injury, Ohtani remains the hope of the Angels and baseball fans. He was diagnosed with a right ulnar collateral ligament tear, but he will continue to play as the designated hitter until he receives specifics for surgery. And in the match against the Mets that day, he led the team to victory with a double and three walks.”
The Angels club also applauded Ohtani’s fighting spirit. Angels general manager Perry Minassian said, “Ohtani plays despite the injury. He is awaiting a second diagnosis and will play until it is determined that he is unfit to compete. Ohtani is having a special season this year and is a huge part of our team. We are still excited to have him in the lineup.”
Patrick Sandoval, who started that day and reported his 7th win (10th loss) of the season with a good pitching of 6 innings and 1 run, said, “Ohtani’s appearance is amazing. Ohtani loves the game and loves us. This is an obvious fact. He is playing against the reality that has come to him. What he does is very special,” he raised his thumb.
Ohtani contributed to the team’s victory with 4 runs at bat despite ruptured elbow ligaments. The local media, the director, and colleagues all deserved to pay their respects.