Los Angeles Angels All-Star Shohei Ohtani will not play again this season
Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani suffered an elbow injury and will not play this season.
The Angels have yet to decide whether Ohtani will remain the designated hitter this season.
In 126 games as a left-handed DH, Ohtani hit .304/.405/.664. He led the majors with 44 home runs and had 91 RBIs.
A right-handed pitcher, Ohtani went 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in 23 starts. He also struck out 167 batters this season. Batters are hitting just .184 against Ohtani this season, and he has one of the highest opposing batting averages in MLB.
Ohtani injured at University College London
Ohtani has missed several starts this season with blisters and broken nails on his pitching hand. He has missed several starts recently with arm fatigue.
The Angels play the Cincinnati Reds in two games on Wednesday. Ohtani pitched for the first time in two weeks. He pitched a perfect first inning and struck out two. In the bottom half of the first inning, Ohtani hit a 442-foot home run to right-center with one on base. The Angels lead 2-0.
Ohtani struck out again early in the second inning but exited the game after throwing just 26 pitches. The Angels initially reported his issue was arm fatigue. He didn’t stay in the game as a DH.
Ohtani reported pain in his right elbow and underwent an MRI, which revealed a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL).
Obviously it's disappointing news," general manager Perry Minassian said. "I feel bad for him. But that's how it is. If anyone could get back on his feet, it was him. "
Ohtani started at DH in the second game of the doubleheader and went 1-for-5.
Another Tommy John surgery for Ohtani?
Ohtani underwent Tommy John surgery in 2018 to repair his right elbow. He did not play in 2019 while recovering from surgery but appeared in 106 games as a DH.
During the pandemic, there were legitimate concerns about whether Ohtani would pitch again and give up pitching to become a full-time DH. He appeared in only two games as a pitcher in the 2020 season shortened by the pandemic.
Any concerns were alleviated when Ohtani returned to the mound as a regular starter for the 2021 season. He went 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in 23 games. In 155 games as a DH, Ohtani hit 46 home runs and had 100 RBIs. He won the 2021 American League MVP thanks to his success as a pitcher and a hitter.
Ohtani will seek a second opinion this week on his elbow injury. He could try to let the UCL tear heal on its own, or he could undergo a second Tommy John surgery. If that's the case, he won't pitch again next season but can contribute as a hitter and DH.
The elbow injury could affect the next contract Ohtani signs. Ohtani is in the final year of his original contract and is rumored to be getting a new deal worth $500 million in free agency.
There's no guarantee Ohtani will re-sign with the Angels. If the Angels trade Ohtani, they could at least get some compensation in return. If the angels leave him alone and he jumps up again, they will gain nothing.
Angels face another losing season
In July, the Angels had to make a tough decision. They were without All-Star outfielder Mike Trout on their roster in the American League Wild Card Bubble.Trout broke his wrist in July and may not return until September.
Owner Arturo Moreno said he wouldn't trade Ohtani if the Angels made the playoffs, so the Angels retained the two-way star and made several trades to bolster the roster. The new players haven't helped the Angels, who are 5-16 since the trade deadline.
The Angels are currently 61-67 and six games below .500. They're in fourth place in the AL West, 12 games behind Max Scherzer and the first-place Texas Rangers.
With 34 games remaining, the Angels are 10.5 games away from the AL wild-card race, with three teams in the bubble ahead of them, including the New York Yankees, who collapsed after Aaron Judge injured his toe .
If the Angels lose Ohtani as a hitter for the remainder of the season, they'll have a hard time avoiding an eighth straight losing season. DraftKings has excluded the Angels from their playoff bets. However, the Angels still appear on the futures market at +80,000 to win the AL West. The American League West is the closest division in baseball right now. There are 1.5 games between the Rangers, the up-and-coming Seattle Mariners and the defending World Series champion Houston Astros.
Ohtani is so far ahead in the AL MVP race that most sportsbooks have removed this side bet from their MLB awards pages. Ohtani is still on pace to win his second MVP since 2021 despite missing the final 34 games of the season.
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