Ohtani has UCL tear, won't pitch again in '23 [View all]

[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.

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