Los Angeles Angles two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani has been diagnosed with a torn UCL and will not pitch for the rest of the season.
.@Angels announce Shohei Ohtani has been diagnosed with a tear in the ulnar collateral ligament of his right elbow and will not pitch again this season. pic.twitter.com/0gxmUYRJ2P
— MLB (@MLB) August 24, 2023
Ohtani is set to be the everyday designated hitter until season end, but him not being able to pitch for the Angles is a tough blow. Who knows, Ohtani may have pitched his last game for the Angles as he is set to become a free agent at the end of the season. Ohtani will most likely need his second Tommy John Surgery as he missed the entire 2019 MLB season with the same injury. He is now pushing 30, but Ohtani will still have many suitors on the free agent market regardless of the injury concerns.
How Does His Injury Affect The Starting Rotation?
Prior to yesterday’s start, Ohtani had not pitched since the beginning of August due to arm fatigue. To try to compete for a Wild Card spot, the Angles traded for Lucas Giolito from the Chicago White Sox. He is now seen to be the ace of this pitching staff. Giolito is under contract for next season as well so it is not a total loss.
The Los Angeles Angles are +50000 to win the World Series according to California sportsbooks.
The other pitchers left in this rotation are Reid Detmers, Patrick Sandoval, Chase Silseth, and Tyler Anderson. Detmers has shown the most promise out of these pitchers other than Ohtani. He has, however, thrown a no-hitter in his young career. Ever since then he has been inconsistent. The others are projected middle of the rotation pieces on any team, but none of them give the team any hope in making the playoffs.
The Angels tried something to hopefully get Ohtani back on the team next season. Sadly, it did not work and the belief is that Shohei Ohtani will never pitch in a Los Angeles Angles uniform ever again.
