Orioles vs. Angels Tuesday MLB props, odds: Shohei Ohtani may sit again, shutdown possible

Expect the Baltimore Orioles beating the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim to be a popular MLB bet Tuesday, not just because the O's have the best record in the AL and the Halos waived the white flag on the season about a week ago, but also due to the fact there's a good chance that L.A. star Shohei Ohtani could sit for a second straight night. His season might be over. The O's opened as -140 favorites on the SportsLine consensus but are now -165.

Few bettors were able to take advantage of Ohtani missing Monday's game as he was scratched from his designated hitter spot so close to first pitch, appearing to wince in pain after his final swing of batting practice. He was removed from the lineup with right oblique tightness.

Ohtani was recently shut down from pitching recently after suffering a torn UCL in his pitching (right) arm but planned to keep hitting this year. Ohtani almost surely will not be able to pitch in 2024 due to potential Tommy John surgery but wants to remain a two-way player.

"There's not a question in his mind that he's going to come back and he's going to continue to do both," Ohtani's agent Nez Balelo of CAA told the media on Monday, the first time he (or Ohtani) addressed the media since his tear was revealed Aug. 23.

Note that Balelo didn't commit to him hitting the rest of the season but noted that this tear was in a better spot, in terms of Ohtani being fine to hit for all of the 2024 season while he rehabs. Some think he might return as a closer, like John Smoltz did at the end of his Hall of Famer career. And at what point might Ohtani go to the Angels and request to be shut down to get healthy? He is a free agent to be after all.

Ohtani will undergo further testing Tuesday morning but Angels manager Phil Nevin stated that as of Monday night, the slugger is "pretty sore," so it seems highly unlikely he plays Tuesday.

"Shohei's going to be fine," Balelo said. "Is he going to pitch the rest of the year? No. We already know that. Is he going to get into next year? We don't know yet. So just bear with me on that. But I do know this -- no matter what timetable we're dealing with and when we get this done, Shohei's going to be in somebody's lineup next year, DHing when the bell rings. We know that. We're not going to push that. He's going to be good to go."

DraftKings and other books don't have Ohtani props available for Tuesday yet because of his uncertain status. He is 0-for-4 against Baltimore starter Dean Kremer (12-5, 4.20 ERA).

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