Angels' Shohei Ohtani Leaves Game vs. Astros Because of Apparent Blister on Hand
Los Angeles Angels phenom Shohei Ohtani exited Saturday's game against the Houston Astros with an apparent blister on his hand.
Ohtani went through his normal warmup process and tossed a few pitches heading into the sixth inning before coming out of the game. He was replaced by Jimmy Herget.
The 28-year-old allowed one run on six hits and struck out seven batters in five innings.
Losing the Japanese star for any period of time is concerning for the Angels, especially because of his ability to be effective both on the mound and at the plate.
However, L.A. is third in the AL West with a 60-78 record and has no chance to make the postseason, according to FanGraphs. So, it's best for the club to give Ohtani some rest when needed.
Entering Saturday's game, Ohtani was slashing .267/.356/.535 with 33 home runs, 86 RBI and 11 stolen bases in 133 games. He was also 11-8 on the mound with a 2.58 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 181 strikeouts in 136 innings across 23 starts.
When sidelined, the Angels can turn to Mike Trout, Jared Walsh and Jo Adell to lead the offense. On the mound, they can look to Reid Detmers and Tucker Davidson, though they'll also likely call someone up from Triple-A.
