Los Angeles Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani suffered a ligament tear in his right elbow on Wednesday night and will not pitch the rest of the season, the team announced.
Ohtani, 29, started Game 1 of a doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds and left the game after throwing only 26 pitches and recording four outs.
The American League MVP candidate had an MRI between games and came back as the Angels’ designated hitter in the nightcap of the twin-bill.
“As far as plans and details, I don’t have those yet,” Angels General Manager Perry Minasian said. “I’ve been in contact with his representation. Obviously, he hit the second game. He’s played with this, in ’18, but with that being said we’ll take it day by day and see where it goes. Obviously disappointing news. I feel terrible for him. But it is what it is. If anybody can bounce back, it’s him.”
The severity of the injury throws a shocking twist into Ohtani’s journey this season. The Angels decided to keep Ohtani instead of trading him to a contender at midseason, meaning he will be a free agent in the off-season.
If Ohtani is forced to have Tommy John surgery to fix his elbow, his free-agent value will be affected, and the two-way player might have to decide if he wants to give up pitching altogether. Ohtani had Tommy John surgery in 2018 and came back to pitch.
Ohtani was expected to be one of the most sought-after free agents in baseball history, possibly commanding a $500 million contract.
Teams that look to acquire Ohtani this winter will have to decide how he’ll play going into his 30s, The Wall Street Journal reported.
“He never complained about anything,” Minasian said of Ohtani, who was not made available to reporters. “He had cramps, he was dehydrated, but today is the day. He came out of the game and said, ‘Hey, I’ve got pain in the elbow area.’ It’s the first day we’ve heard of any type of pain.”
