Ohtani has UCL tear, won't pitch again in '23

[Auggie]

ANAHEIM -- The Angels were dealt a massive blow on Wednesday, as two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani was diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow after exiting his start after just 1 1/3 innings in a 9-4 loss in Game 1 of a doubleheader against the Reds.

It’s the second time that Ohtani has suffered a torn UCL. He had the same injury in 2018, and it forced him to undergo Tommy John surgery and not pitch in 2019. The Angels, though, are waiting on a second opinion on Ohtani before they decide whether he’ll need to undergo surgery.

But Ohtani, the heavy favorite to win the American League MVP Award for the second time in three seasons, will not pitch again this season after he underwent an MRI exam that revealed the tear in between the doubleheader games.

SNIP

Despite being told his diagnosis, Ohtani asked to remain in the lineup as the designated hitter in Game 2’s 7-3 loss and went 1-for-5 with a hustle double in the fifth. The Angels don’t yet know whether Ohtani will be able to hit the rest of the season or if he’ll need an operation that will cause him to shut it down early. In 2018, he suffered his torn UCL on Sept. 2 and continued to hit the rest of the way until undergoing Tommy John surgery on Oct. 1.

LINK: https://www.mlb.com/news/shohei-ohtani-has-tear-in-ucl

Raise your hand if you're glad your team didn't sign him to the richest contract in baseball.

✋

[True Dough]

1. He's still the MVP this season

by a country mile. Hope his likely surgery is highly successful.

[Auggie]

2. Yes ...

Last edited Thu Aug 24, 2023, 05:43 PM - Edit history (1)

and me too. Though I heard two pundits on KNBR the other day question how long Ohtani can keep up the dual role.

Babe Ruth stopped pitching in 1920 when he was traded to the Yankees. In 1919, with the Red Sox, he hit 29 home runs. In 1918 the total was 11. That changed in 1920 when he banged 54, followed by 59 in 1921. Story goes he wanted to play everyday ... to hit home runs (Ruth made five appearances as a Yankee pitcher between 1920 and and 1933, four as a starter -- he won all his starts).

So could Ohtani, as just a player, have even better power output if he quite pitching?

Total innings pitched, FYI:

Ruth, 2014-1919: 1,190.1
Ohtani, 2018-2023: 481.1

Home runs as a starting pitcher

Ruth, 1914-1919: 29
Ohtani, 2018-2023: 171

Ruth went on to hit 685 home runs. Ohtani's output to date, though his pitch count is lower, is very impressive.

Stats:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/ruthba01.shtml
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/ohtansh01.shtml

[True Dough]

3. Ohtani's offensive output

may well be improved if he concentrated on that solely. But he's never going to surpass many of Ruth's stats at the plate. But he's already topped Ruth in dual role accomplishments in some categories and is closing in on others. I would encourage him to continue being the unicorn for a while yet, so long as he can be surgically repaired.

[sellitman]

4. This usually happens....

After my Mets sign him for huge $$$

WTF?