Shohei Ohtani is not finished with his season quite yet.The Japanese sensation expects to be in uniform with his teammates when the Los Angeles Angels (68-72) open a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox (56-84) on Friday night at Guaranteed Rate Field. Ohtani is no longer an option to pitch after learning this week that he needs Tommy John surgery
http://www.diamondbacksfanproshop.com/authentic-nick-ahmed-jersey , but he remains willing and able to contribute at the plate.Clearly, a damaged elbow ligament has not hindered his ability to swing the bat. Ohtani is coming off a dominant performance in which he went 4-for-4 with two home runs, three RBIs and a stolen base in a 9-3 win over the Texas Rangers.Article continues below ...If Ohtani undergoes surgery, as his team’s physicians recommend, he will likely not pitch again until the 2020 season. But the club remains committed to his future as a two-way star, which is part of what lured him to the Angels as a free agent.“If you’re going to hit huge home runs and throw 100 miles an hour, it’s a lot for your body to endure,” Angels general manager Billy Eppler said recently to The Athletic. “He trains, he eats and he sleeps like nothing I’ve ever seen before. He’s an extremely gifted athlete and an extremely talented athlete. Is throwing hard good? Yes, it helps you get out hitters. Is throwing hard dangerous? Yes
Jake Lamb Jersey , it stresses ligaments.“Shohei has demonstrated the ability to be impactful on both sides of the baseball. That is something that we, and I think every team would want impact in both the batter’s box and on the mound. He brings that here. His body does go through more stress than the average player’s, but however, his strength, his biological makeup, has shown that he can endure it.”As a team, the Angels also have endured plenty. They have lost 12 of their past 18 games and must confront the possibility of their third consecutive losing season under longtime manager Mike Scioscia.Meanwhile, Chicago is guaranteed a sub-.500 season, but the mood has brightened in recent weeks thanks to improved starting pitching and timely hitting. The White Sox have won eight of 13, 14 of 22 and 19 of 33 as they look toward next year.Left-hander Carlos Rodon (6-4
http://www.diamondbacksfanproshop.com/authentic-robbie-ray-jersey , 2.89 ERA), who will make his 16th start of the season, has been a big part of the recent success for the White Sox. The 25-year-old is 5-1 with a 2.19 ERA in his last 10 outings.In four career starts against the Angels, Rodon is 2-2 with a 3.52 ERA. He has walked nine and fanned 25 in 23 innings.“He’s had situations in which he’s been down over the last couple years and not completed the whole season through injuries or what have you,” White Sox manager Rick Renteria recently said to reporters. “This year, he’s kind of been able to build on what he’s doing right now, he’s feeling confident, and I think it’s something he can run with.”The Angels will counter with right-hander Felix Pena (1-4, 4.19 ERA), who will make his 14th start. The former Chicago Cubs reliever is coming off a strong outing in which he limited the Houston Astros to two runs (one earned) in seven innings.In Pena’s only career appearance against the White Sox
Jeff Mathis Jersey , he allowed two runs in six innings (3.00 ERA) and took the loss.Chicago is 28-44 at home this season. Los Angeles is 34-38 on the road. SEATTLE (AP) — Ryan Borucki was tiring as he prepared to enter the eighth inning for the first time in his major league career. Fortunately, the Blue Jays‘ rookie left-hander had the boisterous assistance of a crowd packed with Canadians vacationing a bit south of the border in Seattle.The 24-year-old starter, pitching in his seventh game, breezed through a perfect eighth to put a signature on his first big league victory as Toronto beat a suddenly reeling Mariners team, 7-2 on Friday night. He walked off the mound to a standing ovation from what seemed like a rare home crowd on the road.“I’m on cloud nine right now,” said Borucki (1-2), who gave up one run and four hits in eight innings, striking out two without issuing a walk. “It was definitely worth the wait. These fans here, I was just riding on those fans. They were keeping me in it. . It was a lot of fun.”Toronto got a well-balanced attack including home runs from Russell Martin and Devon Travis and added three insurance runs in the ninth.The Blue Jays supported Borucki right away. Randal Grichuk led off the game with a double down the first-base line against Seattle starter Marco Gonzales and Travis singled him in. Toronto extended its lead to 2-0 in the fourth inning when Martin hit a solo homer to left-center field.The Mariners got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth on Kyle Seager’s RBI single, but the Blue Jays pulled away in the top of the fifth when Grichuk reached on a one-out infield single and Travis hit a two-run homer off the scoreboard beyond the left-field wall. Toronto added three in the ninth off Mariners reliever Chasen Bradford.Meanwhile
http://www.bravesfanproshop.com/authentic-nick-markakis-jersey , Borucki shined, getting quick outs via ground balls, spotting his fastball in the 92-93 mph range, and making the Mariners hitters’ aggressiveness work against them.“He looked composed, in control and just pitched his game,” Martin said. “He’s good. He’s got what it takes and he’s not afraid out there. It’s just nice to see somebody out there that just attacks the zone and goes right after guys.”The Mariners have lost four consecutive games and are looking to break out of a slump that saw them score the fewest runs in MLB in the month of July and only eight in three games so far in August.“It’s kind of the same old tune here offensively,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said. “It will turn, I know it will, our guys know it will, but it is really frustrating right now. Everybody’s grinding away trying to figure out a way to get out of this thing.”Toronto reliever Ken Giles
Babe Ruth Jersey , acquired in a deadline trade with the Houston Astros, made his Blue Jays debut in the ninth and gave up a run on a two-out single by Ryon Healy. The reliever struck out three.TRAINER’S ROOMBlue Jays: CF Kevin Pillar returned from the disabled list (sprained right sternoclavicular joint) without having played in any minor league rehab games and batted ninth. The Blue Jays optioned RHP Brandon Cumpton to Triple-A Buffalo to make room for Pillar on the active roster. … The Blue Jays announced that RHP Oliver Drake was claimed off waivers by the Minnesota Twins.Mariners: 2B Dee Gordon was back in the lineup leading off and at his position. Gordon left Thursday night’s game in the ninth inning after rolling his right ankle while landing to catch a throw from third baseman Seager. “He didn’t swell up at all,” Servais said. “He feels pretty good today.” … Servais said reliever Juan Nicasio was unavailable Friday because of right knee soreness that the right-hander experienced in May. Nicasio was slated to get the knee checked out by a team doctor.UP NEXTBlue Jays: RHP Marco Estrada (4-8, 4.90) gets the ball for Toronto on Saturday night. Estrada returned from the 10-day disabled list in his last start July 30 and gave up four runs and five hits in four innings in a loss at Oakland.Mariners: LHP James Paxton (9-4, 3.49), a native of British Columbia, Canada, faces the Blue Jays for the first time since pitching a no-hitter in a 5-0 victory over the Blue Jays on May 8 in Toronto.
