ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani left the mound for the Los Angeles Angels in the middle of an at-bat during the second inning Wednesday.
Ohtani had a 2-2 count on Reds third baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand when the Angels' training staff came out to check on him following a 94 mph fastball. After a brief discussion, Ohtani headed off the mound.
Ohtani hit his major league-leading 44th homer in the first inning, a two-run shot against the Reds.
The two-way superstar and AL MVP front-runner skipped his previous turn in the rotation last week to rest his arm after a long summer. Ohtani has struggled with blisters and other minor injuries to his pitching hand, but he had pitched through them while continuing to play every day as the Angels' designated hitter.
Tyler Anderson replaced Ohtani on the mound.
Ohtani is almost certain to win his second AL MVP award in three seasons after another standout two-way campaign. He entered this game 10-5 with a 3.17 ERA on the mound. His two-run homer gave him 91 RBIs and broke his tie with Atlanta's Matt Olson atop the homer standings.
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