ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Shohei Ohtani stepped outside the Los Angeles Angels' clubhouse and stood against a concrete wall to face a horde of English- and Japanese-speaking media members Friday night, with an ice pack wrapped tightly around his elbow and his interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, standing diligently by his side. It resembled the aftermath of every one of his home starts over these past three years, even though the circumstances surrounding it -- trade deadline looming, free agency following, rumors about a potential trade more fervent than ever -- were vastly different.
Ohtani, the Angels' transcendent two-way star, claimed to barely notice.