Shohei Ohtani says he won’t participate in Home Run Derby during All-Star festivities

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani received’t take part within the Residence Run Derby on July 15 regardless of the Japanese famous person rating second within the majors with 27 homers for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Ohtani has taken half within the Derby simply as soon as, exiting within the first spherical in 2021 at Coors Subject in Denver. This 12 months’s occasion is at Globe Life Subject in Arlington, Texas.

“I’m in the course of my rehab development, so it’s not going to appear to be I’ll be taking part,” he mentioned via a translator on Tuesday evening.

Ohtani is simply hitting, not pitching, this season as he recovers from an injured elbow ligament. He had a process in September earlier than agreeing to a $700 million, 10-year deal with the Dodgers in December.

“He signed up right here to assist us win a championship and nothing ought to get in the best way of that,” Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts mentioned.

“In another regular scenario the place he wasn’t rehabbing, I believe he would like to take part. I do know that it’s weighed heavy on him, however I do assume the rehab course of is one thing that finally makes him really feel higher about bowing out,” Roberts mentioned.

Ohtani blasted a two-run shot that traveled 433 ft to right-center within the seventh inning of the Dodgers’ 6-5 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday evening. He’s second to New York Yankees slugger Aaron Decide, who has a serious league-leading 32 homers this season.

Ohtani went 3 for five with two runs and two RBIs towards the D-backs. He’s hitting .380 within the leadoff spot since Mookie Betts broke his hand on June 16.

Roberts mentioned it was extra a case of the Derby interfering with Ohtani’s rehab than a priority about him getting harm.

“Whenever you’re taking part in each day alongside the rehab it’s very regimented, so when you’ve gotten an outlier scenario so far as a Residence Run Derby, that’s one thing that one is ready for,” he mentioned. “It could simply be an actual disappointment for not solely Shohei, the Dodgers and in addition the followers if one thing have been to occur throughout one thing like that, which is an exhibition basically.”

Within the 2021 Derby, Ohtani set a report for probably the most homers of no less than 500 ft with six. He was the primary participant to be chosen as an All-Star as each a place participant and a pitcher, doing so in 2021 and 2022 whereas with the Los Angeles Angels.

“It’s simply not his accountability alone to hold the sport of baseball,” Roberts mentioned. “He does it every day.”

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