Japanese big leaguer Shohei Ohtani (30, LA Dodgers) will miss the All-Star Game Home Run Derby.

According to Yahoo Sports on the 4th (Korea time), Dodgers manager Dave Roberts officially announced Ohtani's absence from the home run derby after the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on the 3rd. Roberts emphasized that Ohtani's rehabilitation treatment is the top priority. Ohtani has been playing only as a batter, not a pitcher, since undergoing Tommy John Surgery (a ligament joint surgery in his elbow) in September 2023. Roberts expressed concern that playing in the home run derby would not be good for Ohtani's rehabilitation process. The LA Times predicted that under the current rules of the home run derby, he can swing up to 40 times in the first two rounds and 27 times in the final.토토사이트

"Unlike very regular rehabilitation treatments, no one can prepare for exceptional situations such as home run derby," Roberts said. "If such an injury essentially happens, it will be a real disappointment not only for Ohtani and the Dodgers but also for the fans." Ohtani has played in 83 games as of the 3rd and has a batting average of 0.320 with 27 homers and 64 RBIs. The 27 homers are second in the entire Major League after Aaron Judge (New York Yankees, 32), and first in the National League. There was a lot of interest in whether Ohtani, who played in the home run derby of the 2021 All-Star Game, would make an appearance again, but he was finally disappointed.

"It's not just Ohtani's responsibility to carry the MLB," Roberts said. This season's MLB All-Star Game will be held at Globe Life Field, the home ground of the Texas Rangers, on the 17th. Yahoo Sports said that so far, the Baltimore Orioles' Gunner Henderson has publicly agreed to participate in the 2024 home run derby. Henderson hit 26 home runs in 84 games, ranking third overall in MLB and second in the AL. 

Meanwhile, Otati plans to play the All-Star game normally. Otani signed a 10-year, 700 million-dollar contract with the Dodgers in December last year. He was the first free agent to win a 400 million-dollar contract (554.8 billion won).