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Los Angeles Angels phenom Shohei Ohtani will not pitch in Tuesday night’s MLB All-Star Game, citing prioritizing the regular season. Ohtani said he will make his regularly scheduled start after the All-Star break Thursday against the Atlanta Braves.
Shohei Ohtani said he is pitching the #Angels first game after the break (Thur in Atlanta). That's why he will not pitch in the ASG tomorrow. Said he is "prioritizing" the regular season
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) July 18, 2022
This will hurt Ohtani’s MVP chances, as his pithing and hitting ability make him one of the few players with multiple opportunities to impact the game. Ohtani is the favorite at +390 on DraftKings Sportsbook, and bettors are backing him heavily. If he doesn’t pitch, that’ll change his odds a bit.
The Angels are 39-53 entering the break, so the regular season is slowly looking like a lost cause as well. LA is 20.5 games out of the AL West lead and 10.5 games out of an AL wildcard spot. Even if Ohtani does shine for the rest of the year, it’s hard to see LA making a playoff run.