Shohei Ohtani injury update: Angels star to miss next pitching start with arm fatigue

Angels manager Phil Nevin is trusting his star player's self diagnosis. 

Nevin announced on Sunday night that two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani will be missing his next scheduled pitching start with arm fatigue. He is still expected to play as the designated hitter, but is skipping his next turn in the rotation. 

Ohtani is the frontrunner for the AL MVP, once again showcasing his dominant pitching and hitting ability. On the mound, Ohtani is 10-5 with a 3.17 ERA in 22 starts. His WHIP of 1.064 ranks eighth in the MLB and his 165 strikeouts are tied for seventh. 

The Japanese star is hitting .305 with 84 RBIs and 41 home runs, which leads the AL and is second behind only the Braves' Matt Olson. He leads the majors in slugging (.661) and OPS (1.068) as well. 

MORE: Tracking Shohei Ohtani's quest for home run history

The Sporting News is keeping track of the latest injury updates on Ohtani. 

Shohei Ohtani injury update

Ohtani is going to miss his next turn in the pitching rotation due to arm fatigue, Nevin said. 

"I’ve told you guys many times he knows his body better than anybody," Nevin said. "I trust him when he talks about it. He’s assured me there's no pain, there's no injury. He's got some regular arm fatigue that some go through at times. I trust him when he tells me this and he'll be ready for his next time out."

Ohtani isn't expected to miss more than one start for the organization. Reid Detmers is tentatively scheduled as the new projected starter for Wednesday's game against the Rangers in place of Ohtani. 

Despite Ohtani giving his arm some rest for the mound, that doesn't mean Angels fans won't see him at the plate. Nevin confirmed that the two-way star would still be playing as the team's designated hitter. While pitching has tiring out his arm, there has been no effect on his swing. 

"He feels good at the plate," Nevin said. "He feels healthy swinging at bat. It’s just the (throwing) right now, he's got some normal arm fatigue that happens at times."

MORE: NL MVP race: Who can challenge front-running Ronald Acuña Jr.?

Angels schedule August 2023

Nevin stated that he expects Ohtani to return to the rotation at some point during an upcoming three-game home series against the Reds, starting on Monday, Aug. 21.