(Anaheim) Shohei Ohtani will not pitch again this season due to a torn ligament in his right elbow, Los Angeles Angels general manager Perry Minasian announced late Wednesday night.
The Angels don’t yet know if the Major League homer and 10-game winning streaker will have surgery to repair his ulnar collateral ligament a second time. Ohtani underwent his first Tommy John surgery in 2018, after earning the American League Most Outstanding Rookie Award.
“It’s a tough day for him,” Miasian said. It’s a tough day for all of us. ยป
The baseball star came off the mound abruptly in the second inning against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday after making 26 shots in Game 1 of a doubleheader.
Ohtani, who had hit his 44th homer of the season in the first inning, insisted on playing Game 2, before the tear was discovered following tests between the two games.
The 29-year-old Japanese is set to become a free agent at the end of the season. The All-American MVP favorite was expected to command the most lucrative contract in baseball history after six stellar campaigns with the Angels. His salary, however, could depend on his ability to throw.
Ohtani plans to get a second opinion before deciding whether he will have surgery, Minasian said.
In addition to dominating the homers column, Ohtani is averaging .304 and driving in 91 runs this season. On the mound, he is 10-5 with a 3.14 GAA. The opponent hits for .184 when he is on the mound, the worst average in the Majors.
