The dreadful finish to the 2023 season for the Los Angeles Angels and Shohei Ohtani turned into a full-blown nightmare on Wednesday, because the membership introduced the two-way megastar has a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow and won’t pitch once more this season.
Making issues worse, the Angels additionally will put heart fielder Mike Trout again at the injured listing after only a two-day go back.
Talking with the media after his membership was once swept in a doubleheader through the visiting Cincinnati Reds, Angels common supervisor Perry Minasian mentioned Ohtani underwent an MRI examination between video games, with the consequences confirming the tear.
“He would possibly not pitch the remainder of the 12 months,” Minasian mentioned. “We are going to get a 2nd opinion and move from there. However it is principally everyday.”
Minasian would now not devote as to if Ohtani would wish surgical treatment. The precise-hander began the primary recreation of the doubleheader however left after 26 pitches with what was once to begin with referred to as arm fatigue.
With a 2-2 depend in opposition to the Reds’ Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Ohtani got here off the mound and gave the look to be in ache. Supervisor Phil Nevin and the learning personnel got here out and got rid of Ohtani from the sport.
An inning previous, Ohtani hit his major-league-leading forty fourth house run. He additionally performed in the second one recreation, serving because the designated hitter and going 1-for-5 with a double.
The damage — particularly if Tommy John surgical treatment is needed — can be a large blow for the 29-year-old Eastern megastar. He’s set to turn into a loose agent after the season and was once broadly anticipated to land the most important contract in most important league historical past.
The 3-time All-Megastar and 2021 American League MVP was once having in all probability his largest season but, main the majors in house runs, triples (seven), slugging share (.664) and OPS (1.069). He additionally has 22 doubles and 91 RBIs.
At the mound, he’s 10-5 with a three.14 ERA whilst keeping batters to a .183 reasonable. Ohtani underwent Tommy John surgical treatment following the 2018 season and performed in 106 video games the next season (despite the fact that he didn’t pitch or play within the box in any respect, best serving as a chosen hitter).
Additionally all over the scoop convention, Minasian informed newshounds that Trout, who did not play both recreation on Wednesday, can be positioned again at the IL. Trout overlooked 38 video games following surgical treatment to fix a damaged bone in his hand. He got here again on Tuesday and went 1-for-4.
The 3-time AL MVP hasn’t performed in additional than 140 video games since 2016. This 12 months, he’s batting .263 with an .858 OPS, 18 house runs and 44 RBIs in 82 video games.
With the potential for dropping Ohtani this offseason looming over the Angels all season, the membership made up our minds it was once shut sufficient to a playoff spot to carry onto the megastar after which added avid gamers on the industry cut-off date. However Los Angeles has fallen aside since then, going 5-16 in August and finishing Wednesday 10 1/2 video games out of a wild-card spot.
—Box Stage Media
