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Shohei Ohtani was unavailable for the Los Angeles Angels' picture day on Tuesday. He was replaced by a body double, and the team will presumably photoshop him into the pictures.
The Angels PR team tried to hide the body double by taking him through a back exit. Unfortunately, the body double was spotted and the news is out now.
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Ohtani was scratched from his expected Tuesday start against the Baltimore Orioles. Manager Phil Nevin stated that he was being evaluated for an oblique injury, which was likely why he was absent from the photos.
Ohtani will have to have a procedure done on his torn UCL in the offseason. His agents told reporters on Monday that he will be ready to at least hit at the start of the 2024 season.
"This organization is so wild lmao" one fan posted.
"Feauxtani" another fan posted.
Los Angeles Angels fans cannot help but state how weird this is. Shohei Ohtani is the team's most important player and will be the only one who has to be photoshopped into the picture.
Fans are taking shots at the team's owner, Arte Moreno. They believe he is too cheap to reschedule picture day and instead devised this plan.
All eyes will be on Los Angeles Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani in the offseason
It is no secret that Shohei Ohtani is set to become one of the most prominent free agents in baseball history in the offseason. He is an enigma, doing things no other player can do.
However, his recent injury throws a wrench in things. His agent has already stated that he will undergo a procedure in the offseason but did not specify the procedure.
Ohtani tore his UCL during the 2018 season. He underwent stem cell and PRP therapy to avoid having surgery. He could think about doing the same again to prepare for the 2024 season. Another option would be to have Tommy John surgery.
For Los Angeles Angels fans, they have some hope. Ohtani's agent stated that these recent developments have not strained the relationship between the two. They still have a chance at re-signing him, but those chances are slim.
It will be interesting to see which teams are aggressive in the Ohtani market. Will big-spending teams like the New York Mets or Los Angeles Dodgers go after him? Or will a surprise team like the St. Louis Cardinals take a stab at landing the superstar?
