A torn elbow ligament ended his pitching career for the rest of the season, but that didn’t deter Shohei Ohtani (29-LA Angels). Even in desperation, he pushed himself to bat and even smiled during the game. His manager was impressed by his different mentality.
Ohtani started the first game of the 2023 Major League Baseball doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, USA, on Thursday (July 24) and pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings with one hit, one walk and two strikeouts before being pulled after throwing 26 pitches. He had been on 14 days’ rest since his last start against the San Francisco Giants on April 10, but it wasn’t normal.
After a clean first inning with two strikeouts, Ohtani gave up a leadoff single to Spencer Steer before getting Joey Votto to fly out to shortstop. Ohtani’s face contorted after he threw five pitches to Christian Encarnacion-Strand at first base in the ensuing at-bat. After signing to the dugout, he complained of elbow pain and walked off the mound on his own.
His four-seam fastball averaged 93.1 mph (149.8 km/h), a full 3.8 mph (6.1 km/h) below his season average. In his first at-bat as the No. 2 hitter, Ohtani hit his 44th home run of the season with a two-run shot in the first inning, but his elbow wasn’t in good enough shape to throw the ball normally. After giving way to Tyler Anderson on the mound, Ohtani’s condition turned out to be more serious than expected.
Elbow ligament damage found, season over for pitcher…second Tommy John surgery likely
According to MLB.com and other local media outlets, the Angels initially cited “arm fatigue” as the reason for removing Ohtani, but a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan between Games 1 and 2 of the doubleheader revealed a torn UCL in his right elbow. Most pitchers with UCL tears undergo Tommy John surgery, although it is possible to rehabilitate with injections.
Angels general manager Perry Minasian said, “Ohtani is no longer pitching this season. “We’ll get a second opinion and make a decision, but right now we’re taking it day by day. “We don’t know if he’s going to have surgery yet. We have to talk to Ohtani’s agent as well, as we had a brief discussion after the MRI.”
This is the second time Ohtani has suffered a UCL tear, having suffered the same injury in his first year with the Angels in 2018. After being placed on the disabled list on June 9 that year, Ohtani stopped pitching and was limited to hitting, and underwent Tommy John surgery in October after the season ended. He didn’t pitch in 2019, only hitting, and returned to pitching in July 2020, a year and 10 months later.
However, two games into his comeback, he suffered a right arm flexor and peroneal muscle strain that ended his season as a pitcher. Despite being urged to give up pitching, Ohtani continued to pursue a dual career, going 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA and 156 strikeouts in 23 games (130⅓ innings) in 2021. As a hitter, he made history as the unanimous MVP of the American League (AL) with 46 home runs.
Last year, he took it up a notch as a pitcher, going 15-9 with a 2.33 ERA and 219 strikeouts in 28 games (166 innings). Ohtani, who finished fourth in the American League (AL) Cy Young Award voting, was just as dominant this year, going 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts in 23 games (132 innings). He was one of the favorites for the AL Cy Young Award after posting double-digit wins for the second straight year, but an elbow injury took him out of the race.
Ohtani skipped a start against the Texas Rangers last week due to fatigue. “Until today, Ohtani did not complain of anything wrong with his elbow,” Minasian said. He was dealing with a blister on his right middle finger and cramps from dehydration, but he didn’t say anything about his elbow. Today, for the first time, he told me about his elbow pain after the substitution,” Minasian said, admitting that he hadn’t anticipated Ohtani’s elbow injury.
“Injury comes at the worst possible time before free agency.” But Ohtani laughed, and the manager was impressed.
MLB.com writes, “The injury comes at the worst possible time for Ohtani, who is set to become a free agent after the season and is on the verge of the largest contract in major league history. If he requires a second Tommy John surgery, which has a much lower success rate than the first, he won’t take the mound until 2024. It could even take longer than that, which would hurt his market value,” the report said, noting that Ohtani is not a two-hitter.
ESPN also said, “It’s a shocking turn of events for Ohtani, who was expected to be the biggest free agent in baseball history,” adding, “If he undergoes another Tommy John surgery in October 2018, he could be sidelined until 2024. This will have a significant impact on Ohtani’s free agency, with many expecting a $500 million-plus contract.
“It’s disappointing and unfortunate, but we have to accept it,” Minasian said. Ohtani can fully recover from his injury and get back on his feet. There is no limit to what he can do. I think he will be able to come back and show the same ability he had before.” Ohtani’s extraordinary mentality and willpower make us believe that he will be able to overcome this.
After Game 1 of the doubleheader, the severity of the elbow injury was confirmed, but Ohtani was determined to play, saying, “Can I play tonight (Game 2 of the doubleheader)? I want to play tonight.” Ohtani did indeed play in Game 2, batting second, and went 1-for-5 with one RBI and one run scored. After hitting a double to right field in the fifth inning, he was all smiles as he chatted with Cincinnati shortstop Eli De La Cruz during the pitching change.토스카지노
As a pitcher, his season is over and his free agent market value could drop significantly. But Ohtani was all smiles as he continued to play as a hitter. “I’ve seen a lot of players react differently in this situation,” Minasian said, “but he was professional. He didn’t waver and said he wanted to play in game two. I think it showed how much he loves baseball and how much he values his teammates and this place. It was really impressive. He’s mentally strong, and that’s why he’s able to do things like that.”
The Angels’ fall baseball season is effectively over, but if Ohtani’s walk rate is anything to go by, he’ll likely finish the rest of the season as a hitter. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s in the lineup when we go to New York (on June 26),” Minasian said. I know how much he wants to play. But it’s important to get a second opinion. We have to get all the information and make a proper judgment. We will help him with whatever it is.”