Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani was not in Monday’s starting lineup and his next start on the mound is in limbo after coming away with a minor groin injury Sunday.
Ohtani made an appearance as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning of Monday afternoon’s 3-0 loss the White Sox in Chicago. He entered with two outs and a runner on first and grounded out to second base on a 3-1 pitch.
Ohtani’s next scheduled start on the mound was expected to take place this week at Boston. The right-hander’s last start came on Wednesday against the Cleveland Guardians.
The injury did not require an MRI. It occurred during Sunday’s game as he ran to first base while grounding into a double play. He was lifted for a pinch hitter in the ninth inning.
Angels manager Joe Maddon said an Ohtani start against the Red Sox remains undetermined but he hopes he’ll be able to pitch in the series.
“We’re going to wait a day or two to figure that out. He’s feeling pretty good today,” Maddon said.
The Angels listed right-hander Noah Syndergaard as their starter Tuesday at Boston, with no starter listed for games Wednesday and Thursday.
Ohtani is hitting .228 with four home runs and 12 RBIs in 22 games this season. He’s 2-2 with a 4.19 ERA in four starts. He has a strikeout ratio of 14.0 per 9 innings.
