Two-way star Shohei Ohtani isn’t able to pitch in 2019 after having Tommy John Surgery, but he’s still playing as a position player and making a big impact at the plate for the Los Angeles Angels. That was particularly the case on Thursday night, when Ohtani hit for the cycle against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field.
In the top of the seventh, Ohtani came to the plate needing the easiest part of the cycle- a single. And he came through with this single to right-center field:
HR ✅
2B ✅
3B ✅
1B ⬇️ #ShoTime pic.twitter.com/mMsIlRU7FQ— MLB (@MLB) June 14, 2019
Ohtani makes history. 👏 pic.twitter.com/fUpI563O7g
— MLB (@MLB) June 14, 2019
He got it started with a three-run oppo taco in the first inning:
Sho starter. pic.twitter.com/Ex5Sdr0Yxk
— MLB (@MLB) June 13, 2019
Ohtani is the first Japanese-born player to hit for the cycle in MLB history. And he’s the first Angels player to hit for the cycle since Mike Trout did so in 2013.
On the season, Ohtani has a .280/.350/.512 slash line and 131 wRC+. He’s showing his rookie campaign wasn’t a fluke, and keeps proving anonymous scouts wrong.