Shohei Ohtani delivers against the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 21.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Combined with the news that Mike Trout would be heading back to the injured list — because of the soreness he was experiencing in his left hand from playing Tuesday, his first game back after missing 38 — and where the team sits in the standings, it is hard to believe it will get better for the Angels.
Trout and Ohtani were key pieces of the Angels’ postseason push. The Angels do not know if Trout will return after the minimum 10 days on the IL. For what it’s worth, what Trout is dealing with will continue to be pain tolerance until the offseason, when he can rest for a longer stretch of time.
Ohtani still can hit, as he did in 2018 when he finished the season as a designated hitter after tearing his UCL in June. But the Angels (61-67) are 10½ games behind the Seattle Mariners for the final American League wild-card spot with 34 games left.
“No one’s quitting in that room,” manager Phil Nevin said Wednesday night. “I’m not quitting. No one’s quitting in that room. I won’t allow it. The coaches won’t allow it, the players won’t allow it. Room hurts, this sucks.”
