Anaheim still loves Shohei Ohtani amid trade rumors, but Angels stumble in return from All-Star break

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Los Angeles Angels manager Phil Nevin made it clear that a Friday night win over the Houston Astros would not solve all of his injury-riddled team’s issues.

“We’re not going to make up this big deficit that we’ve acquired over the last two weeks,” Nevin said before Friday’s game. “We’re not going to make it up tonight. But we’ve got to play better baseball for us to have a chance for those things.”

In front of a sizable crowd at Angel Stadium, the Angels only fell further into their under-.500 hole — despite Shohei Ohtani’s best efforts. The Astros defeated the Angels 7-5 in the first game back from the All-Star break. But the Angels’ 45-47 record — good for six games back of the last wild-card spot — might not even be the biggest storyline that surrounds the team.

Although the Angels have given zero indication of any desire to trade Ohtani, that didn’t stop both players and fans from openly courting Ohtani during All-Star festivities in Seattle. The Aug. 1 MLB trade deadline is just on the horizon.

“Come to Seattle!” chants rang out from Mariners fans when Ohtani was up to bat during the All-Star Game. Mets pitcher and fellow countryman Kodai Senga, through an interpreter, joked about putting his Mets cap on Ohtani’s head.

“I’ve never experienced anything like that, but I definitely heard it,” Ohtani said about the Seattle chants through interpreter Ippei Mizuhara.

Still, Angels fans are showing Ohtani as much love as they can and for however long they can. Ohtani still receives the loudest cheers of the entire Angels roster, especially since star teammate Mike Trout is recovering from a fractured wrist. Ohtani's jersey is the most represented throughout the stadium. Pockets of “MVP” chants broke out across Angel Stadium whenever the star was up to bat Friday.

“The Angels fans come to watch the Angels because they love the team, and [Ohtani] wants to perform the best for them, and like he said, there is stuff that he can control and that he can’t control, and whatever he can control, he wants to do his best at it,” Ohtani's interpreter said at the All-Star Game.

Ohtani pitched five innings Friday and allowed five runs, four earned off five hits, to go with seven strikeouts. He ended his night with a 3.50 ERA. He opted out of pitching in the All-Star Game earlier in the week due to a blister. On Friday, Ohtani left the mound at the top of the sixth inning after issuing his third walk of the game to Astros left fielder Corey Julks.

"I saw something not right after [Ohtani] walked [Julks], so I wanted to check on him. He mentioned that the finger was a little sensitive," Nevin said in explaining his decision to take out the star.

Ohtani, after putting on a shin guard, stayed in the game as the designated hitter. In five at-bats, he had two hits and one run.

Ohtani's blistered hand is something to monitor. Keeping him in Anaheim isn't an overarching solution for the Angels' issues, but for now, his presence is enough to keep fans in the seats.