Angels’ Phil Nevin acknowledges fans’ ‘frustration’ at uncertainty surrounding Shohei Ohtani – Orange County Register

SEATTLE — This time, Phil Nevin made his lineup before he even asked Shohei Ohtani if he was able to play.

The Angels manager left Ohtani out of the lineup for the ninth consecutive game on Tuesday, telling the two-way superstar that he can let him know when he’s ready.

Nevin acknowledged that all of this drama surrounding Ohtani’s sore oblique is frustrating and confusing for fans.

Ohtani felt something during batting practice a couple of hours before the game on Sept. 4. Nevin said it was his decision to keep Ohtani out of the next day’s lineup, against Ohtani’s wishes, but since then it has apparently been Ohtani saying he’s not ready, even though he’s continued to maintain he’s “close.”

“I know fans come to see him, especially when we’re at home,” Nevin said. “I get that frustration. Absolutely. When this started, nobody thought it was a big issue. He was even telling me ‘I think I can go in a day or two.’ And that’s what I told you guys. Well, it stretched out a little longer than we thought. But I still think it’s really close. And we’ll wait for him to say when he can play.”

Further muddying the situation, Ohtani has not spoken to the media about anything since Aug. 9. His agent addressed his arm injury last week, but that was before Ohtani hurt his oblique.

Monday was the only day during the nine-game stretch in which Ohtani was in the lineup and then scratched. Nevin had been told by Ohtani on Sunday that he would be able to play, so he made the lineup accordingly.

Now, Nevin said he won’t put Ohtani back in the lineup until he’s sure.

A player can only be placed on the injured list retroactive to three days prior, so at this point any time the Angels put Ohtani on the 10-day injured list, it would prevent him from playing at least the next seven days. Ohtani apparently has not gotten to the point at which he felt he needed seven more days.

“I’m kind of inclined to tell him ‘Hey, take, take these next two and we got the off day (on Thursday) and maybe play Friday,’” Nevin said, “but he told me ‘If I come in tomorrow, and I feel good, I’ll come tell you,’ so OK.”

Ohtani, who is done pitching for the season, is expected to have a procedure to repair his torn ulnar collateral ligament at some point.

PITCHING PLAN

The Angels will have a bullpen game on Wednesday afternoon, Nevin said, filling the spot still vacated by Chase Silseth, who is on the concussion list.

Jhonathan Diaz and José Suarez could be available to start the game with multiple innings, depending on who is available after Tuesday.

NOTES

Infielder Brandon Drury got a routine day off on Tuesday, a day after hitting a go-ahead two-run homer in the 10th inning. “He’s a little tired,” Nevin said. …

Catcher Matt Thaiss has been throwing, so he would be available to play defense if necessary, Nevin said. Thaiss, who was out with shoulder inflammation, was activated before he was able to play defense, because the Angels could afford to carry him just for his bat with the extra roster spot allowed in September. …

The Angels’ starting lineup for the first two games in Seattle included five former Angels’ first-round draft picks in each game. Outfielders Randal Grichuk (2009) and Jordyn Adams (2018), shortstop Zach Neto (2022) and first baseman Nolan Schanuel (2023) played both games. Thaiss (2016) started at DH on Tuesday and Reid Detmers (2020) was the starting pitcher on Monday.

UP NEXT

Angels (TBD) at Mariners (RHP Luis Castillo, 12-7, 3.08 ERA), Wednesday, 1:10 p.m., Bally Sports West, 830 AM