“Arm fatigue,” he says…”super-sized blowout” Ohtani elbow ligament tear “surgery undecided, no further appearances”
Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Angels), a “baseball prodigy” looking for a “jackpot” contract in free agency, was dealt a huge blow. He suffered a torn ligament in his right elbow.
Ohtani started the first game of the 2023 Major League Baseball doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds at Angels Stadium in Anaheim, California, USA, on April 24 (ET), but was taken off the mound after 1 1/3 innings of scoreless baseball with one walk and two strikeouts.
The situation was this. On the mound on two weeks’ rest since his last start against the San Francisco Giants on Oct. 10, Ohtani got leadoff hitter T.J. Friedle to ground into a double play, then struck out Matt McClain and Eli De La Cruz in succession to end his uneventful start. But if there was anything out of the ordinary, it was the restraint.
Ohtani is a fastball pitcher who can touch 100 mph (161 km/h), but his fastball was only 94.4 mph (152.9 km/h) in the first inning. Nevertheless, Ohtani took the mound in the second inning and walked leadoff hitter Spence Steer, then retired the next batter, Joey Votto, on a pop fly to shortstop to load the bases. He then faced Christian Encarnacion-Strand and signaled to the dugout that something was wrong.
The Angels brought a trainer to the mound to check on him, and it was clear that he was unable to continue pitching. Ohtani was removed from the game after just 1⅓ innings, handing the mound to Tyler Anderson, who hit his 44th home run in his first at-bat of Game 1.
The team cited “arm fatigue” as the reason for Ohtani’s removal, and according to Full Count, manager Phil Nevin said after Game 1, “Ohtani is getting checked out. There is no pain in the elbow. Something he’s been feeling (fatigue) for two weeks came up in the first inning. That’s all I can say right now. There is no pain, but there is discomfort in the arm.”
After resting in the first game, Ohtani returned to bat in the second game of the doubleheader and appeared to be in good shape. However, after the game, he received some shocking news. He had torn a ligament in his right elbow. According to Japan’s Full Count, team president Perry Minassian said, “Ohtani has a torn elbow ligament and will no longer pitch in the remainder of the game.”
There is currently no word on whether he will need surgery. However, the worst-case scenario is that surgery is inevitable. If the elbow is operated on, Ohtani will be undergoing the second Tommy John surgery of his career, joining the likes of “Korean Monster” Ryu Hyun-jin (Toronto Blue Jays). Ohtani already underwent Tommy John surgery once before in 2018. “The Angels will get another opinion,” Full Count reported. The decision on the surgery has not yet been made and is unclear.”바카라사이트
The Angels made it known that they would entertain trade inquiries for Ohtani before the August 2 trade deadline. However, when the team’s record climbed back above .500, the Angels reversed course and reloaded, hoping to make a run at the postseason. However, the Angels’ chances of making the postseason are slipping away, and now that Ohtani is injured, the Angels are in the worst possible situation.
The same goes for Ohtani. Ohtani is a free agent after this season. There’s no denying that he’s a “jackpot contract” as he’s on pace to win the American League MVP and lead the league in home runs this year, but now that he’s suffered a major elbow tear and is likely to undergo Tommy John surgery, his price tag will be significantly impacted.
