Angels Manager Brad Ausmus Angers All of Japan by Benching Shohei Ohtani for Yusei Kikuchi Matchup
By Jerry Trotta
Really, Brad Ausmus? You really had to bench Shohei Ohtani tonight of all nights?
The 2018 AL Rookie of the Year has started the past six games for the Los Angeles Angels, going 5-for-24 with three RBI in those contests.
Sure, the Angels manager doesn't want to push the budding star too much as he is coming off October Tommy John surgery, but Thursday night was poised to be a MASSIVE night for Japanese baseball fans, as Ohtani, if in the lineup, would've been set to square off against fellow compatriot and Seattle Mariners starter, left-hander Yusei Kikuchi.
Brad Ausmus will have some explaining to do the large mass of Japanese media that came to T-Mobile to see the Kikuchi and Ohtani matchup.
— Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) May 30, 2019
Ausmus probably came up with idea during his crossfit workout. https://t.co/3Sof4JCAzZ
In Shohei's place, however, Jonathan Lucroy gets the nod at DH and Dustin Garneau will start at catcher. As a result, the country of Japan is deprived of a potentially historic night.
The matchup would've also been a huge storyline for Ohtani and Kikuchi, who attended the same high school in Japan. Thursday night's game was set to mark the first time that the longtime peers would've faced off on American soil!
Trout is back in the lineup but Shohei Ohtani is not in there against Yusei Kikuchi. They attended the same high school in Japan. https://t.co/c8htVytTji
— Rhett Bollinger (@RhettBollinger) May 30, 2019
We NEED Ausmus' explanation for such a boneheaded decision because there's really no excuse for this.
This is truly shambolic and utterly careless on Ausmus here.