This photo shows Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels hitting a two-run home run in the fifth inning against the New York Yankees on June 29, 2021, at Yankee Stadium in New York, his second of the night and major league-leading 28th of the season. (Kyodo)

       ANAHEIM, California (Kyodo) -- Los Angeles Angels two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani earned American League Player of the Month honors for June, Major League Baseball said Friday.

       Ohtani, who received the monthly honor for the first time in his four-year U.S. professional career, batted .309 and slugged 13 home runs in June.

       He hit two homers on the 29th of the month to take his season's total to 28, giving him the sole lead in the MLB home run race, two clear of the Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

       Ohtani tallied 23 RBIs and four stolen bases in 25 games over the month and made five starts on the mound, marking two wins with an ERA of 4.94.

       He will become the first major league player from Japan to compete in the pre-All Star game home run derby and was on Thursday announced as an All-Star starter.

       Ohtani is the first Japanese voted into the All-Star game's starting lineup since Ichiro Suzuki in 2010.

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