UPDATE: Looks like Otani will be missing more than just 4 weeks in the regular season due to the severity of the injury, and will spend most likely 6 weeks in the DL according to Sponichi Annex.

Japanese two-way player, Shohei Otani (22 years of age), has been sidelined for at least 4 weeks this season due to a left leg injury (pulled biceps femoris muscle, via MRI in Osaka) he sustained while beating out an infield grounder heading to the first base bag in the top of the first inning (clearly in pain, video of the play, Kuriyama-kantoku is not pleased)… and was later taken out in the game and was replaced by infielder Toshitake Yokoo. The Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters lost the game by a score of 8-1, newcomer Phil Coke, of the Orix Buffaloes, threw 7 shutout innings, earning his first career win in Nippon Professional Baseball.

This isn’t the first time Shohei Otani injured himself while running out on a grounder, he injured himself last year too during Game 4 of the Nippon Series against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp (ankle injury), and has aggravated it again during an exhibition game against Mexico in November, and was forced to miss out participating in the 2017 World Baseball Classic due to it.

Shohei Otani has yet to make a pitching appearance this season, as he played mostly as the team’s DH. He currently owns a batting line of .423/.484/.846 with 2 homeruns and 3 RBIs in 7 games so far (26 at-bats).