These days, the Angels are operating in the words of the great Ray Charles: If it wasn’t for bad luck, they’d have no luck at all.
On the same day that star center fielder Mike Trout was placed on the injured list with a broken hand, two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani left Tuesday’s start against the Padres in the sixth inning with a blister on his right middle finger.
Ohtani was pulled after allowing a single and back-to-back home runs without recording an out in the inning, as San Diego extended its lead at the time to 5-1. It marked the first time in Ohtani’s MLB career that he had allowed back-to-back homers.
He finished the game on the mound allowing five runs on seven hits and four walks with five strikeouts. The Padres ended up winning, 8-5.
After the game, Ohtani told reporters that he’s unlikely to pitch in the All-Star Game next week, and is unsure about how the blister will impact his ability to hit over the rest of the week.
Earlier in the game, third baseman Anthony Rendon left in the fourth inning after fouling a ball off his left leg. X-rays were negative, and the team diagnosed the injury as a left shin contusion. The Angels have lost 10 of their previous 14 games, dropping their record on the year to 45-43.
