Ohtani doesn’t plan to pitch in All-Star Game

It appears Major League Baseball just lost one of its biggest attractions at the All-Star Game: Shohei Ohtani on the mound.

Ohtani said he doesn’t expect to pitch in next week’s showcase after leaving the Los Angeles Angels’ 8-5 loss on the road to the San Diego Padres with a blister on the middle finger of his right hand Tuesday.

“It’s going to be pretty tough,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “As of now I’m planning on not pitching.”

The two-way superstar still could play a significant role if he’s healthy enough to remain the starting designated hitter for the American League Tuesday in Seattle.

Ohtani exited on the mound against the Padres in the sixth inning. When his spot in the lineup at DH came up in the ninth, he was replaced by a pinch hitter.

“When I came out of the game I was kind of in the moment, so we will see about going forward the next few days,” Ohtani said. “On the pitching side, I have like nine, 10 days until the next start so hopefully I will heal in time.”

Ohtani was pulled after giving up consecutive home runs to Xander Bogaerts and Jake Cronenworth with none out in the sixth.

The right-hander’s start had been pushed back a day due to a cracked fingernail. His velocity was down Tuesday, and he left trailing 5-1.

“It was hard for me to put full pressure on it,” Ohtani said.

Ohtani’s exit came several hours after the Angels learned they’ll be without fellow All-Star slugger Mike Trout for several weeks because of a broken left wrist. YANKEES’ CORDERO SUSPENDED

FOR REST OF THE SEASON >> Yankees pitcher Jimmy Cordero was suspended for the rest of the season by baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred on Wednesday for violating the sport’s domestic violence policy.

MLB said the 31-year-old right-hander accepted the suspension and will miss the season’s final 76 games and the postseason.

Cordero was 3-2 with a 3.86 ERA in one start and 30 relief appearances and has a $720,000 salary, the major league minimum. He missed the 2021 season after Tommy John surgery while with the Chicago White Sox organization and spent 2022 with the Yankees’ Triple-A team at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

The Yankees said in a statement they supported MLB’s discipline and “there is no justification for domestic violence.”

Cordero was in the Philadelphia Phillies organization in 2015 and 2016. spending part of bot seasons with Double-A Reading.

He was acquired by the Phillies on July 31, 2015, in a trade that sent outfielder Ben Revere to Toronto. The Phillies traded him to Washington in November 2016.

CARDS PLACE WAINWRIGHT ON INJURED LIST >> The St. Louis Cardinals placed right-hander Adam Wainwright and catcher Andrew Knizner on the injured list Wednesday.

Wainwright was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder strain. He was lifted in the fourth inning of Tuesday’s 15-2 loss to Miami after giving up consecutive one-out walks. The 41-year-old Wainwright gave up seven runs, four earned, and seven hits.

Wainwright is 3-4 with a 7.66 ERA over 11 starts this season.

ORIOLES PROMOTE COWSER >> The Baltimore Orioles promoted outfielder Colton Cowser to the major leagues Wednesday, the second top prospect they’ve called up in the past couple of weeks.

The 23-year-old Cowser has hit .330 with 10 home runs and 40 RBIs for Triple-A Norfolk this year. He was the fifth pick in the 2021 draft.

Late last month, Baltimore

called up infielder Jordan Westburg, the No. 32-ranked prospect by MLB Pipeline. Cowser is No. 14 on that list.

Cycling

HINDLEY CLAIMS YELLOW JERSEY >> The first mountain stage of the Tour de France produced a new race leader on Wednesday and firmly indicated that defending champion Jonas Vingegaard has the upper hand in his duel with twotime winner Tadej Pogacar.

On his Tour de France debut, former Giro d’Italia champion Jai Hindley took the yellow jersey after winning the 100.9-mile fifth stage that also included a daunting 9.4-mile grind up Col de Soudet.

Vingegaard made the most of the brutal climb of Marie-Blanque, the third and last ascent of the day, to launch a sharp attack that was left unanswered by Pogacar.

“He was just stronger today,” Pogacar said.

Vingegaard moved into second place, 47 seconds behind Hindley. Pogacar was sixth overall, 1 minute, 40 seconds back. Previous leader Adam Yates, a teammate of Pogacar, dropped to fifth.

Hindley was part of an early breakaway and became the first Australian leader of the race since Rohan Dennis in 2015.