Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani got awful news on Wednesday night.
After leaving his start in the second inning in the middle of an at-bat, fans had the feeling that something was up.
Fans’ worst fears were confirmed when it was reported he had a damaged UCL.
He won’t be pitching again this season, and that’s a real shame.
Alden Gonzalez, who has connections with the Angels after years of covering MLB, recently reported what’s next for the generational talent.
“Just said this on SportsCenter: Shohei Ohtani will be with the Angels in New York, and it looks like he’ll continue to hit while he decides the next course of action with his UCL tear,” he tweeted.
Just said this on SportsCenter: Shohei Ohtani will be with the Angels in New York, and it looks like he’ll continue to hit while he decides the next course of action with his UCL tear.
— Alden González (@Alden_Gonzalez) August 24, 2023
It’s hard for pitchers to perform their activities with a UCL tear, although it can be done if it’s partial.
It’s still very unusual.
Now, when hitters have a UCL tear, they have better odds of performing their duties than pitchers.
Bryce Harper, for example, played through a UCL tear for most of the 2022 season and eventually had surgery after the World Series.
It looks like Ohtani is going the Harper route and will keep playing at least as a hitter.
There is a good chance he decides to get surgery after the season, which could affect his free-agent market slightly.
He is still absurdly good, and he is still going to command a huge payday, though.
For now, we won’t see him on the mound but he will keep breaking records as a batter.
Next up: the franchise’s single-season home run record held by Troy Glaus, who had 47 in 2000.
Ohtani, with 44 as of Thursday, has a good chance of leaving the former Angels star behind.
NEXT: Buster Olney Discusses Ramifications Of Shohei Ohtani's Injury
