Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Will Shohei Ohtani enter the Home Run Derby?

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated Jun 28, 2023 9:53 PM ET

Shohei Ohtani is baseball's shiniest diamond, a shoo-in for the 2023 All-Star Game in Seattle. However, shouldn't the MLB leader in long balls also participate in the Home Run Derby?

Addressing the possibility while speaking with reporters this week, Ohtani didn't commit to the home run showcase but also didn't rule it out.

"I don't know when my next start is, so it really kind of depends on that," Ohtani said, via Sarah Valenzuela of the Los Angeles Times. "I haven't really thought that far ahead."

Ohtani suffered a cracked nail on the middle finger of his pitching hand, forcing the Angels to pull him from the mound in Tuesday's win over the Chicago White Sox in the seventh inning. However, the injury didn't seem to impact Ohtani at the plate, launching his league-leading 28th homer of the season in the bottom half of the inning to cap off a 3-for-3, two-long ball evening.

OHTANI WITH HIS SECOND HR OF THE NIGHT‼️‼️@Angels | #GoHalos pic.twitter.com/na0u4HA2nV
— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) June 28, 2023

If Ohtani makes his next scheduled start, it will probably occur next during a three-game (July 3 to July 5) road set against the San Diego Padres. Although, which day Ohtani takes the mound will ultimately decide whether or not he'll take hacks in the derby. While it'd be nice to see Ohtani smashing balls into the stands at T-Mobile Park in two weeks, it's not worth potentially suffering an injury or throwing off the rhythm of his spectacular season.

Entering play Wednesday, Ohtani led the MLB in home runs (28), RBI (64) and OPS (1.039). Meanwhile, Ohtani is 7-3 on the bump, boasting a 3.02 ERA in 16 starts.

Mike Santa Barbara

Mike Santa Barbara is a Wilmington, Delaware native (Yes, it's a real place) with over a decade of sports writing experience. A diehard Philadelphia sports fan, he has two dogs named after Flyers and cried real tears when the Eagles won Super Bowl LII. You can follow him on Twitter at @mike__sb

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