Could Shohei Ohtani bring some added star power to next month's All-Star weekend?
While speaking Sunday after the Angels' 6-4 win over the Cardinals, the Japanese phenom expressed his desire to participate in the Home Run Derby but admitted he has not been invited by the league to join the festivities.
“I haven’t heard anything yet, but if I am asked, I’d be honored to compete in it,” Ohtani said through his interpreter, via the Orange County Register.
Ohtani will not pitch this year as he continues to recover from Tommy John surgery, but he's still helping the Angels win serving as designated hitter. In addition to becoming the first Japanese-born player to hit for the cycle earlier this month, he's hitting .276 with nine home runs and 30 RBIs through 41 games this season. In total, he has 31 home runs in 145 MLB games.
Still, the Angels are taking a cautious approach to Ohtani's regimen to avoid aggravating his shoulder.
“We haven’t discussed anything,” Ohtani added. “But if they do ask me, we’ll have to discuss it internally with the medical staff. Of course, I’d love to play in it, but it’s not only my decision. We have to see what the team says.”
Blue Jays rookie slugger Vladimir Guerrero was reportedly the first player to agree to participate in the Home Run Derby.
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