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Angels hopeful Ohtani makes next start despite blister, will continue to hit

Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia is optimistic two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani will make his scheduled start next week despite being forced out of Tuesday's game after only two innings with a blister.

"We'll be flexible," Scioscia told Maria Guardado of MLB.com. "Obviously this is a new wrinkle right now with the blister coming up. We'll read how we get later in the week. He's going to hit a couple times, obviously, before he pitches again. We'll see where everything sets up."

Blister issues are nothing new for pitchers, and the same can be said for Ohtani, who told reporters through his interpreter that he dealt with them in Japan. The blister, coupled with the Boston Red Sox game plan, was enough to spell Ohtani in what was the shortest start of his major-league career.

The right-hander entered the game on a high note after dazzling with a remarkable one-hit, 12-strikeout performance on April 8 against the Oakland Athletics, in which he carried a perfect game into the seventh inning.

"People took a look at (the blister), and they thought it would be fine for today," Ohtani said after the game. "I also felt the same way, but I tried to pitch today, and with the high intensity of the game, it didn't hold up too well."

Ohtani's next scheduled start is slated for Tuesday, April 24 when the Angels visit the Houston Astros. In three appearances, Ohtani has pitched to a 3.60 ERA with a 0.80 WHIP and 19 strikeouts. In eight games at the plate, he's hit .367/.424/.767 with a 1.191 OPS and 226 wRC+.

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