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Aug. 24 (UPI) – Los Angeles Angels pitcher/slugger Shohei Ohtani suffered a torn ligament in his right elbow and will not be able to pitch for the remainder of the season, according to general manager Perry Minasian. The injury occurred during Ohtani’s start in the first game of a doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday in Anaheim, Calif. Ohtani left the mound in the middle of the second inning.
“Obviously, Shohei had to leave the game,” Minasian revealed in a postgame news conference. “We conducted imaging tests during the break between the games, and it confirmed the presence of a tear. He will not pitch for the rest of the year. We will seek a second opinion and plan accordingly. However, as of now, it is a day-to-day situation and we don’t have all the details.”
Ohtani managed to hit his 44th home run of the season in the first inning of the 9-4 loss before assuming the role of designated hitter in the second game. In that match, he went 1 for 5 with a double and a run scored, as the Angels suffered a 7-3 loss to the Reds.
“He played through a similar injury in 2018, but we will take it one day at a time and assess his progress,” Minasian stated. “Obviously, this is disappointing news. I feel terrible for him, but we have to accept it. If anyone can bounce back from this, it’s him.”
Ohtani currently leads Major League Baseball with 44 home runs. He boasts a .304 batting average and has driven in 91 runs through 126 games this season. As a pitcher, the three-time All-Star and 2021 American League MVP holds the best batting average against, with opposing batters hitting just .184. In his 23 starts, Ohtani has recorded a 10-5 record with a 3.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts, ranking him fifth in the American League.
The star player signed a one-year, $30 million contract with the Angels in October and is set to become an unrestricted free agent in the upcoming off-season.
Minasian revealed that he has been in contact with Ohtani’s representatives regarding his injury.
The general manager also announced that star outfielder Mike Trout will return to the injured list. Trout made his comeback on Tuesday after missing 38 games due to a broken bone in his left hand.
“He attempted to swing [Tuesday], but it didn’t go well,” Minasian explained. “So we have decided to place him back on the injured list to allow for proper rest and recovery.”
Trout, a three-time MVP and 11-time All-Star, currently holds a .263 batting average with 18 home runs and 44 RBIs in 82 games this season. He is under contract with the Angels until 2030 and will receive an annual salary of over $37.1 million for the remainder of the deal.
The Angels started the season strong, going eight games over .500 and occupying second place in the American League West in June. However, they have since struggled, going on a seven-game losing streak in August and currently find themselves in fourth place, trailing the division-leading Texas Rangers (72-54) by 12 games.
The Angels will face off against the New York Mets (59-69) on Friday at 7:10 p.m. EDT in Queens, New York.
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