LA Angels’ Ohtani suffers injury, unable to pitch for rest of season

Shohei Ohtani suffers torn UCL, Mike Trout heads back to IL | CBS Sports

On Wednesday, the General Manager of the Los Angeles Angels, Perry Minasian, announced that Shohei Ohtani had sustained a season-ending injury. CBS Sports reported that Minasian disclosed a tear in Ohtani’s right elbow’s ulnar collateral ligament, which will keep him from pitching for the remainder of the year.

“He has a tear, and he won’t pitch the rest of the year,” Minasian said.

Minasian said the Angels will seek another opinion and assess the situation as it progresses.

“We’re going to get a second opinion, go from there, but it’s basically day to day. … He’s played with this in ’18, but with that being said, we’ll take it day by day and see where it goes. … If anybody can bounce back, it’s him,” Minasian said.

After having Tommy John surgery in October 2018, Ohtani has been dealing with various small problems lately, like fingernail and blister issues. He skipped a start recently due to arm fatigue. He openly talked about feeling tired, likely because of his dual role as a player.

Ohtani, also known as “Shotime,” started in Game 1 of a doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds. He pitched 26 times and recorded four strikeouts before being replaced. Nevertheless, he remained determined to join as the Angels’ designated hitter in Game 2. Despite his efforts, he went 1 for 5 with a double, a run, and a strikeout.

According to Statcast’s data, Ohtani displayed significantly reduced velocity on all his pitches in this game. His fastball was recorded at 93.2 mph, which is 3.7 mph lower than his average for the season. Similarly, his sweeper was 4.7 ticks slower.

Furthermore, Minasian revealed that Ohtani won’t bat in the next few days due to further evaluation. He expressed hope that the 29-year-old pitcher might be able to return as a batter this season.

“I know he’s going to do everything in his power to come back as soon as he can,” Minasian said.

Ohtani will be in New York this weekend with his team to play against the Mets. According to ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez, Ohtani could potentially continue in his role as a designated hitter.

Ohtani is on track for free agency this winter, and analysts had anticipated a contract valued at over $500 million.