Shohei Ohtani won't pitch for 4-6 weeks due to injury

The Angels pitcher and DH will be out for at least a month with a grade 1-2 flexor strain. Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

Angels' Shohei Ohtani won't pitch for at least 4-6 weeks due to injury

By Zac Wassink | Last updated Aug 3, 2020 8:04 PM ET

Los Angeles Angels pitcher and designated hitter Shohei Ohtani hasn't looked right on the bump in his two appearances during the pandemic-shortened season.

The club now knows why.

Angels general manager Billy Eppler announced on Monday that the 26-year-old has been diagnosed with a grade 1-2 strain of the flexor pronator mass. It may be more than a month before he begins a throwing progression:

Update on Shohei Ohtani: pic.twitter.com/hZ8RJJzEdN
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) August 3, 2020

Eppler added that Ohtani traveled with the Angels for the team's series versus the Seattle Mariners and that Ohtani's status as a DH is day-to-day.

Ohtani managed to tally only five total outs in his first two pitching starts, and the two-way star was chased from Sunday's outing against the Houston Astros after 1.2 innings of work. He issued five walks in his brief time on the mound, and he then complained of arm discomfort following the game.

Ohtani underwent Tommy John surgery in October 2018.

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

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