LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani won’t participate in the Home Run Derby on July 15 despite the Japanese superstar ranking second in the majors with 27 homers for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Ohtani has taken part in the Derby just once, exiting in the first round in 2021 at Coors Field in Denver. This year’s event is at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

“I’m in the middle of my rehab progression, so it’s not going to look like I’ll be participating,” he said through an interpreter Tuesday night.

Ohtani is only hitting, not pitching, this season as he recovers from an injured elbow ligament. He had a procedure in September before agreeing to a $700 million, 10-year deal with the Dodgers in December.

“He signed up here to help us win a championship, and nothing should get in the way of that,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.

“In any other normal situation where he wasn’t rehabbing, I think he would love to participate. I know that it’s weighed heavy on him, but I do think the rehab process is something that ultimately makes him feel better about bowing out,” Roberts said.

Ohtani blasted a two-run shot that traveled 433 feet to right-center in the seventh inning of the Dodgers’ 6-5 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday night. He is second to New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who has a major-league-leading 32 homers this season.

Roberts said it was more a case of the Derby interfering with Ohtani’s rehab than a concern about him getting hurt.

“When you’re playing every day alongside the rehab it’s very regimented, so when you have an outlier situation as far as a Home Run Derby, that’s something that one is prepared for,” he said. “It would just be a real disappointment for not only Shohei, the Dodgers and also the fans if something were to happen during something like that, which is an exhibition essentially.”

In the 2021 Derby, Ohtani set a record for the most homers of at least 500 feet with six. He was the first player to be selected as an All-Star as both a position player and a pitcher, doing so in 2021 and 2022 while with the Los Angeles Angels.

“It’s just not his responsibility alone to carry the game of baseball,” Roberts said. “He does it on a daily basis.”

MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis was removed from Tuesday night’s game against Detroit with tightness in his left groin, and the oft-injured budding star groused afterward about his prognosis.

Lewis was replaced in the field for the top of the sixth inning. He had a two-run, two-out double in the third off Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, when he jogged into second base and felt like he couldn’t even run at half-speed.

“He had to come out. He just wasn’t moving the way that he needs to move in the game, and it was just the smart thing to get him off the field,” manager Rocco Baldelli said.

The Twins announced Lewis’ status as day-to-day, but after their 5-3 win, he said he was still experiencing tightness and expected to get an MRI for further assessment.

“Probably not very optimistic, to be honest with you,” Lewis said. “I’m praying, but it’s usually always horrible news. So we’ll see.”

The first overall pick in the 2017 draft can be forgiven for his pessimism. Lewis missed 58 games earlier this season with a partially torn quadriceps in his right leg. He previously underwent two reconstructive knee surgeries for torn ACLs in the same leg that waylaid the beginning of his career.

Lewis has 31 homers and 80 RBIs in 100 major league games, including the postseason.

“What I can control, I’m very happy about, but this is out of my control. I have no idea,” he said.

WASHINGTON — Brandon Nimmo had two RBIs in his return from a harrowing hotel room accident, and the New York Mets beat the Washington Nationals 7-2 on Tuesday night for their second consecutive extra-innings victory.

Nimmo, who cut his forehead when he fainted and fell Sunday night, entered in the fourth inning after Harrison Bader was pulled following a collision with the wall in right-center field. In the eighth, he drove in Francisco Lindor for a tying RBI single, and then was part of a barrage of hits against Robert Garcia (0-3) once the game went to extras.

“Really enjoying the moments tonight … getting the big hits, just soak them in because not every day’s like that,” Nimmo said. “When things like this happen, it’s a fresh perspective on being able to play this game and being able to play it at this level on a daily basis. When it’s taken away from you briefly, you realize just how special it is, and you start to enjoy the little things a little bit more.”

As part of a five-run 10th, José Iglesias doubled to put the Mets ahead. Nimmo also doubled and Pete Alonso crushed his 18th homer.

Lindor’s 14th homer in the sixth was the only blemish against Nationals rookie DJ Herz, who struck out 10 while pitching 5⅔ innings. Herz joined Stephen Strasburg as the only pitchers since 1901 to have two 10-strikeout, no-walk games in their first six major league starts.

“I’m just going out there and pitching,” Herz said. “I just want to get deep into games and put these guys in the best situation to win. It’s cool to hear all that stuff that comes with it, but I’m just trying to go out there and do what’s best for my team.”

But Washington’s bullpen let Herz down, first when Hunter Harvey got knocked around in the eighth and then when Garcia was lit up for the loss.

The Mets became just the fourth team to score five or more runs in an extra inning in back-to-back games, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

After Sean Manaea allowed one earned run and struck out five in seven innings, Jose Butto gave the Mets exactly what they wanted when they called him up to come out of the bullpen. Butto (2-3) allowed just one hit in his first two innings of relief this season.

“We got two huge innings out of him when we needed it,” manager Carlos Mendoza said.