Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani is playing with a damaged UCL in his right elbow.
That resulted in the team shutting him down from pitching work for the remainder of the season.
He is still playing as a hitter, but that wasn’t the case on Monday.
According to MLB on FOX, he hurt his oblique in batting practice.
Here is the video:
Shohei Ohtani will not play tonight due to precautionary reasons
?: FS1 pic.twitter.com/vo2q5vnas9
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) September 5, 2023
As a result of the ailment, Ohtani did not play for “precautionary reasons”.
The Angels are 12.5 games behind the third and last Wild Card spot, so although they are still not mathematically eliminated, their chances of making the postseason are minimal.
At some point, they will need to do something about Ohtani’s elbow; and they sure should monitor his oblique.
Oblique strains vary in severity, and the injury merits at least some studies and imaging being taken.
Ohtani will soon test the free-agent waters, and his contract could be affected if he has a severe arm injury.
At this point, teams don’t know if he will be able to act as a pitcher next year.
For now, he is focused on doing what he can to help the Angels win games.
In the process, he is making his already rock-solid MVP case even stronger.
As a hitter, he is MLB’s co-leader in home runs with 44, and is slashing .304/.412/.654 with a 1.066 OPS.
As a pitcher, he boasts a 3.14 ERA in 132 innings, with 167 strikeouts.
A few weeks after the conclusion of the season, his second MVP award will become official even if the Angels shut him down completely.
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