Ohtani and Judge, can anyone touch me? All-Star Home Run Derby is absent with him because "He's rehabilitating.", "Dangerous"
Jul 03, 2024
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Ohtani said in an interview with local media after the Arizona Diamondbacks match at Dodger Stadium on the 3rd (Korea time) that `I'm rehabilitating, so I think it'll be difficult to participate.'
Ohtani will not take the mound this season after undergoing surgery to reconstruct ligaments in his right elbow on September 20 last year in LA, that is, de facto Tommy John Surgery. Thanks to this, he can only concentrate on hitting, and he is racing toward MVP in the first season of his transfer to the Dodgers.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, `Ohtani signed with us to win the Dodgers and came here. Nothing should get in the way of the process," he said, supporting Ohtani's decision not to participate.
Roberts said, `He would have liked to participate in a normal situation where he is not rehabilitating.' The home run derby is bound to be a burden on him. I think the rehabilitation process is for him to get better in the end", he explained.
Roberts said earlier on the 27th of last month that he hoped Otani would not play in the home run derby. Free batting is about swinging dozens of times with all your might to hit a home run, so it's bound to strain your body," he said, clarifying his opposition.
At the time, he said "It's very good for baseball to have Otani participate. However, on the other hand, in other words, from the Dodgers manager's point of view, the fact that he has to concentrate and swing a lot should be cautious and cautious. Ohtani raised his voice, saying, "Isn't he undergoing elbow rehabilitation?"
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2021 is the only time Ohtani participated in the home run derby. In that year's home run derby at Coors Field, Denver, he faced Juan Soto (then the Washington Nationals) in the first round and lost 28-31 in overtime. At that time, Ohtani was eliminated in the first round, but he hit six home runs over 500 feet, setting a record for the most in a single tournament ever.
Meanwhile, Ohtani hit a two-run homer to right-center in the bottom of the seventh inning against Arizona to lead the National League (NL) in this category. The lead, Gavin Lux, got on base with a walk and hit first base with no outs. Ohtani pulled an 89.7-mile high slider from the second pitch on the one ball against right-hander Justin Martinez and fired an upset two-run shot that went well over the right fence.
He hit his 27th home run of the season with a 37 degree launch angle, 112 miles (180.2 kilometers) and a flying distance of 433 feet (132 meters). It is the first time in three days that Ohtani hit a home run since an away game against the San Francisco Giants on the 30th of last month. In the local time, he reported his first home run in his first game in July. The Dodgers won 6-5 in the bottom of the ninth inning thanks to Teoscar Hernandez's walk-off hit.
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Asked at the time if he would continue to miss the All-Star Home Run Derby, Judge said, `One day I will participate. It doesn't mean giving up forever. If (the All-Star Game) is held in New York, I will be able to participate." In other words, he said he would be willing to participate when the All-Star Game is held at Yankee Stadium. In other words, it is interpreted that he is not interested in home run derby held elsewhere.
Judge participated in the All-Star Game Home Run Derby at Marlins Park (now Rondipo Park) in Miami Marlins home stadium in 2017 during the rookie season and won the championship. Since then, he has not participated for one reason or another, such as injuries. This season, it seems that the reason is to prevent left-handed injuries. Judge missed the next day's game against the Baltimore Orioles on the 19th of last month after being bruised on the left hand by opposing pitcher Albert Suarez's ball in the bottom of the third inning.
The two best home run hitters in the Major League will not play in this home run derby.
jhno@sportschosun.com
