Shohei Ohtani, 29, locked himself out of his Los Angeles Angels clubhouse locker. With the regular season not yet over, Ohtani’s disappearance left his teammates baffled and the Angels’ public relations team furious.
Major media outlets covering the event, including the Los Angeles Times, reported that Ohtani had removed his belongings from his locker in the Angels’ clubhouse on Sept. 16. When reporters entered the clubhouse after the game against the Detroit Tigers on the same day, it was confirmed that Ohtani’s locker was empty.
According to the LA Times, “Ohtani’s shoes were gone, as well as small personal items from friends and teammates. All that remained was a bottle of cologne, two Angels shirts, an Angels toiletry bag, a Seattle All-Star Game double-pack and dust marks left by items that had been there for years.
“Reporters stayed in the clubhouse for 30 minutes to get answers. The Angels did not comment other than to say they would provide updated information tomorrow (Sunday).
Japanese media outlets were a bit more realistic about the situation. “It was an abrupt parting,” said Japanese baseball publication Full Count. Bats, spikes, and other equipment were missing from Ohtani’s locker after the game. It was empty, as if the season was over. The 20 or so U.S. and Japanese reporters who gathered in the clubhouse after an interview with Angels manager Phil Nevin were baffled.
“Where did he go, I don’t know,” said outfielder Brett Phillips, who was born in 1994, the same year as Ohtani. The Angels’ fall baseball season came to an early end with a 2-11 record, but with 14 games left in the season, everyone was confused about Ohtani’s departure.
The tension was palpable, with “The Athletic” reporter Sam Blum saying “Ohtani is a superstar” and demanding an explanation from the Angels’ PR team. “I can’t comment at this time. There will be an announcement tomorrow.” Ohtani reportedly left the field about 10 minutes before the clubhouse opened to the media after the game.먹튀검증
Ohtani made his last appearance against the Oakland Athletics on April 4, and missed 11 consecutive games after suffering a right lateral strain in batting practice ahead of the Baltimore Orioles on April 5. He took batting practice in an indoor batting cage against Detroit but was not in the lineup. He was initially expected to return as soon as possible with a minor injury, but that has been pushed back, and now it looks like he will be out for the season.
Ohtani’s season as a pitcher came to an end on March 24 when he was diagnosed with ligament damage in his right elbow after being hit by a pitch in the second inning against the Cincinnati Reds. He underwent Tommy John surgery for the first time in October 2018, but the ligament is in a different area than it was then, so a different type of surgery is being explored. In the meantime, Ohtani continued to play as a designated hitter and showed a willingness to finish the season, but after the side injury, both of his pitches have been sidelined.
Ohtani, who is a free agent after the season, is expected to move to a “winning team. It’s a sad end to a six-year run with the Angels that began in 2018. During that time, Ohtani went 86-19 with a 3.01 ERA and 608 strikeouts in 481⅔ innings over five seasons as a pitcher, and 701 games over six seasons as a hitter, batting .274 with 171 home runs, 437 RBIs, 86 doubles, and a .922 OPS in 2483 at-bats.
The 2018 American League (AL) Rookie of the Year and unanimous MVP in 2021, Ohtani is a three-time All-Star and one-time Silver Slugger. This year, he leads the AL in home runs (44). With 14 games left in the season, he has a nine-run lead over second-place Louis Robert Jr. (Chicago White Sox-35) and is favored to win his first home run title. But after six years without fall ball, his time with the Angels came to an end.