The Los Angeles Angels faced an unusual situation when their biggest star, Shohei Ohtani, was unavailable for team photos due to oblique soreness.
To address this, the Angels enlisted a body double to stand in for Ohtani during the team photos.
The double, a white man, was dressed in a No. 17 replica jersey, despite Ohtani being Japanese.
After the photo session was completed, the Ohtani look-alike was escorted out of the left field tunnel.
According to Bally Sports West, the body double was described as “very tall in the front office,” with no further details disclosed.
During a pregame press conference, Angels manager Phil Nevin was humorously asked if the body double might substitute in a game. Nevin responded with a smile, stating, “Shohei will be in the photo when you see it.”
Fans on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) found humor in the situation, with some expressing disbelief and amusement.
Despite dealing with oblique soreness and a torn UCL in his right elbow, which has sidelined him from pitching for the rest of the season, Ohtani has continued to play as a batter.
He leads the league with 44 home runs and 96 runs batted in this season.
