(Anaheim) Los Angeles Angels All-Star Shohei Ohtani will miss the remainder of the season with an oblique muscle injury.
Additionally, the right-handed pitcher will soon undergo surgery for a torn ligament in his right elbow, the Angels said.
Ohtani’s name was placed on the injured list for ten days. He has not played since September 3 due to the injury and his season as a pitcher ended on August 23 following a torn elbow ligament.
The two injuries ended one of the most remarkable seasons in major league baseball history.
His statistics as a hitter and as a pitcher made him one of the favorites to earn, for the second time in three years, the title of most valuable player to his team in the American League.
They also sparked speculation that he could get a contract worth $500 million or more as a free agent this offseason.
The 29-year-old Japanese established career highs with a .304 batting average and a combined on-base and power rating of 1.066.
He leads the American League with 44 home runs and had 96 RBIs, eight triples and 20 stolen bases on a team that entered Saturday with a 68-80 record and is on the verge of an eighth losing season in a row.
On the mound, Ohtani finished the campaign with a 10-5 record and a 3.14 ERA in 23 starts. In 132 innings of work, he struck out 167 and allowed 55 walks.
We do not yet know if the elbow operation will be Tommy-John type.
Ohtani underwent this type of procedure on October 1, 2018.
He returned to action in a pinch-hitting role the following May 7, and to the mound on July 26, 2020, during a campaign delayed by the pandemic. In his return as a pitcher, he did not strike out a batter, had only five outs on August 2, and left with a forearm strain that kept him from pitching until 2021.
Since then, he has gone 34-16 with a 2.84 ERA in 74 starts.
