8:19PM: Minasian advised ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez and different reporters that Ohtani underwent an MRI on Friday that confirmed continued indirect irritation, so the choice was made to close him down for the rest of 2023. “I don’t have particulars on [Ohtani’s upcoming elbow] process, however clearly he desires to get that as fast as he can and begin preparing for ’24,” Minasian stated. With regard to Ohtani’s early locker clearout, Minasian defined that “I believe in his thoughts he thought there was a chance for a process as we speak, and that’s why he packed.” Largely sidestepping a query in regards to the Angels’ possibilities of re-signing Ohtani, Minasian stated media must ask the participant himself, including that “it’s been a pleasure to get to know him these final three years and hopefully he’s right here for a very long time.”
2:03PM: The Angels have positioned Shohei Ohtani on the injured record with an indirect pressure, the group introduced to reporters, together with Invoice Shaikin of the Los Angeles Instances. This marks the tip of each his 2023 season, and fairly probably his tenure with the Angels.
Ohtani was within the midst of the very best season of his already outstanding profession when a UCL tear stopped him in his tracks in mid-August. Whereas he might need opted to deal with the damage instantly (growing his possibilities of making a fast return in 2024) he selected as a substitute to play out the remainder of the 12 months as a delegated hitter. Sadly, he suffered a second damage simply ten days later, hurting his indirect throughout batting observe. On the time, the group believed the damage to be minor, however Ohtani would go on to sit down out the subsequent a number of video games. On Friday, after he missed his eleventh recreation in a row, reporters observed his locker at Angel Stadium had been cleared out, inviting hypothesis that Ohtani was being shut down.
Common supervisor Perry Minasian is anticipated to supply additional data later as we speak. So may Ohtani himself, who is anticipated to be on the ballpark when the Angels tackle the Tigers for the second recreation of the weekend sequence.
Whereas this clearly isn’t the end result Ohtani or the Angels had been hoping for, an early finish to his season may give the two-way star an opportunity to deal with his torn UCL as quickly as doable. Earlier this month, his agent Nez Balelo revealed that some type of process to restore his elbow was “inevitable.” It isn’t clear what kind of process (equivalent to Tommy John surgical procedure or an inside bracing process) Ohtani may face, however any type of elbow restore comes with restoration time. Ohtani has no timetable for his return to the mound, however the sooner he seeks therapy, the earlier he can start the rehabilitation course of.
Ohtani is ready to turn out to be a free agent following the season, and his impending free company has been the speak of the game all year long. Earlier than his damage points popped up, many thought he may command upwards of $500MM on the open market, and even now, Ohtani nonetheless appears more likely to signal the biggest free agent deal in MLB historical past. His sturdiness is a legit trigger for concern, however when he’s on the sphere, Ohtani’s two-way potential naturally creates a much bigger affect than any of his friends. Over the previous three years, he has hit 124 house runs with a .964 OPS and a 2.84 ERA. That stage of efficiency will web him an unlimited payday, even when Ohtani doesn’t step onto a mound through the first 12 months of his subsequent contract.
Whether or not that big payday comes from the Angels or one other membership, nevertheless, stays to be seen. Proper now, it’s arduous to think about Ohtani is all that optimistic in regards to the course wherein his group is headed; Los Angeles is 2 losses away from its eighth straight dropping season, regardless of an MVP-caliber effort from their greatest participant. Ohtani could have no scarcity of suitors, and he has beforehand instructed that he desires to play for a successful group. Thus, it’s fairly doable he has already performed his final recreation in an Angels uniform – a 10-6 loss to the Athletics wherein he went 0-for-3 with two walks, so hardly a storybook ending.
On the brilliant facet, Ohtani nonetheless has an opportunity to exit on a excessive observe when awards season rolls round. He looks as if a lock to win his second AL MVP, though his damage provides different contenders (i.e. Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, and Julio Rodriguez) a slight probability to catch up. Presently, Ohtani leads the AL with 44 house runs, a .412 on-base proportion, and 325 whole bases, to go together with his 3.14 ERA in 23 begins. He additionally leads the second-place Seager by 2.6 FanGraphs WAR and three.1 Baseball Reference WAR, which is a cavernous hole to shut with simply 15 video games remaining on the schedule.
