Shohei Ohtani to miss next start due to blister

Following Thursday night’s win over the Blue Jays, Angels manager Joe Maddon told reporters that Shohei Ohtani will miss his next start on Sunday due to his lingering blister issue.

“It’ll be next week probably,” Maddon said. “He’s nursing the blister. It’s gotten a lot better. That’s what’s holding him back. We want this to be well and not become an issue.”

Ohtani made his first start of the season last sunday against the White Sox, throwing 4 ²⁄₃ innings and allowing only one run. Following the game, the blister didn’t appear to be an issue, but it looks as if the Angels are going to be extra cautious with him since it is so early in the season.

“I’ll know that at the beginning of this coming week,” Maddon said when asked how long it’ll be until we see Ohtani on the mound. “We have him on a program to throw, we don’t know if it’ll be on that level.”

After this series with Toronto, the Angels will travel to Kansas City for a three-game series. There’s a chance Ohtani can throw in that series, but if the Angels want to hold him back it likely won’t be until Sunday the 18th at Angel Stadium in which he pitches again.

As of now, the rotation to close out the series against the Blue Jays will be Andrew Heaney, Jose Quintana and Alex Cobb.