Shohei Ohtani’s renown as a Japanese two-way phenomenon is known all throughout the baseball world. Whether one had followed his rise to stardom since his MLB debut in 2018 or he won their hearts through his performance in the World Baseball Classic, Ohtani is a well-recognized name. With skills behind both sides of the ball, he has often been compared to the legendary Babe Ruth. But he recently may have found yet another point of comparison, although this one has to do with injuries.

Getting hurt is not uncommon in an athlete’s life because, despite one’s own talent, others around them might make mistakes. Which is what happened at a Los Angeles Angels vs the Chicago White Sox game, but fans are praising Ohtani’s strength.

Shohei Ohtani stays in the game despite being hit by a ball

Ohtani was up against White Sox pitcher Michael Kopech when the ball flew toward his leg. In a clip shared by FOX Sports, it seems like Ohtani realizes what’s going to happen. But the realization happens a second too late, and the ball hits him in the right knee. The Angels player immediately drops his bat on the ground to jump around in pain.

Ohtani walks in the direction of the dugout as officials rush to his aid. The clip shows a few replays of what happened in slow motion as the crowds react to the brutal hit. As the commentators noted, Angels fans waited with bated breath.

READ MORE – Angels Two-Way Star Shohei Ohtani Leaves the Game Injured After Throwing Fastest Pitch of His MLB Career

Some called him the man of steel.

Some lashed out at Kopech.

Fortunately, it wasn’t a serious injury as Ohtani bravely stayed in the game, continuing on. He flexed his leg and while it may cause some soreness later on, he remained in the game. It was reminiscent of an old resurfaced Babe Ruth picture that did the rounds on social media a few months ago.

Babe Ruth once continued a game after hitting his head on a wall

Admittedly, the two injuries are not quite of the same magnitude. While a comparison would be disrespectful, one can confidently say a head wound is much worse than a leg injury. On July 5, 1924, Ruth was so focused on catching a ball in the outfield that he didn’t notice the wall coming up as he ran and had a brutal collision. He collapsed to the ground as officials and medics crowded around him. They woke him up by pouring water on his face and afterward, he insisted that he be kept in the game.

The greatest baseball player of all time went headfirst into a wall and jumped right back up from unconsciousness to continue the game. Ohtani, it seems, is following in his footsteps, however unknowingly.

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