Angels vs. Dodgers Friday MLB injury report, odds: Home-run leader Shohei Ohtani will not start with no designated hitter

What Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani is doing this year on the mound and at the plate is truly unprecedented and it's why the Japanese sensation is the heavy -700 favorite at Caesars Sportsbook to win the AL MVP Award. However, because the Angels are playing at the rival Dodgers on Friday night to open the Freeway Series, the designated hitter is not available and that means Ohtani will not start. The Dodgers are heavy favorites on the MLB odds. 

Ohtani continues to lead the majors with 37 homers and is tied for second with 82 RBIs – he was named AL Player of the Month for both June and July, the first Angels player ever to win the award in consecutive months. A big reason he signed with an AL club out of Japan instead of an NL team was because the DH was available as obviously not playing the field keeps him fresher for when he pitches.

He has played the outfield a couple of times briefly this season but never as a starter (five total at-bats as an outfielder), and I've checked every lineup where the Angels were in an NL park and he always came off the bench as a pinch-hitter unless he was pitching. Maybe Joe Maddon said earlier this week the team simply isn't ready to use him as a nine-inning outfielder yet.

It's possible, though, that the Angels could get another big bat in the lineup in first baseman Jared Walsh, who landed on the injured list July 28, retroactive to July 27 (so he's eligible to come off), after being diagnosed with a mild right intercostal strain. Maddon hinted Thursday that Walsh (22 HR, 67 RBI) would be activated during the Dodgers series. It just may not be for Friday.

On the mound for the Angels is lefty Patrick Sandoval (3-5, 3.38). He faced the Dodgers on May 7 in Anaheim in relief and got a save, pitching 3.2 innings and allowing one run. He's fully a starter now. Since joining the rotation on May 17, Sandoval has a 3.09 ERA and has allowed three-or-fewer runs in 11 of 12 starts.

It's left David Price for the Dodgers, one of four former Cy Young winners on the staff – an MLB record. Price (4-1, 3.55) has been pinballing a bit between the bullpen and rotation so he's probably not stretched out enough to top five innings. As a starter, opponents are hitting .244 off him. As a reliever, .323.

The Angels lead the 2021 Freeway Series 2-1 and lead the all-time Freeway Series 72-61.

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