Japanese baseball prodigy Shohei Ohtani, 29, of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, has ended his Major League Baseball (MLB) season prematurely by going under the knife. 토토사이트
“Ohtani has been placed on the 10-day disabled list (IL), officially ending his season early, and will miss the remainder of the season,” the Angels announced on Saturday (local time). Ohtani will undergo surgery on his right elbow.
“Ohtani has been experiencing ongoing irritation in his right lateral oblique muscle and has decided to end his season,” Angels President Perry Minassian announced at a press conference at Angels Stadium in Anaheim, California. “Ohtani has decided to undergo elbow surgery for next season, but we do not know if it will be an elbow ligament splicing surgery (Tommy John surgery) or something else,” the statement added.
Even without Tommy John surgery, Ohtani is unlikely to pitch next year. Ohtani underwent ACL surgery after the 2018 season, his first in the U.S., and was limited to hitting the following year, batting .288 with 18 home runs and 62 RBIs in 106 games.
Initially, Ohtani was one of the biggest names in free agency after his breakout year at the plate. As a hitter, he batted 30-for-44 with 44 homers, 95 RBIs, 102 runs scored, 20 doubles, and a whopping 1.066 OPS. On the mound, he was equally impressive, going 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA in 23 starts.
As such, Ohtani, who is set to become a free agent this offseason, was expected to become the first player in MLB history to break the $500 million mark. He was poised to surpass 2021, when he won the American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) award with 46 home runs, 100 RBIs, 103 runs scored, 26 doubles, and a 9-2 record with a 3.18 ERA, a phenomenal stat line that could only happen in a cartoon.
However, Ohtani’s season was cut short by injury, which could affect his price tag. If he undergoes ACL surgery, it’s unclear if he’ll be able to return to pitching.
However, Ohtani plans to return to the field as a hitter next year. His agent, Nez Valero, emphasized to the Associated Press that “even if he has the surgery, he will be able to play full-time as a designated hitter next season.”
The Angels plan to hold onto Ohtani for now. “I think he’s had a great time with the Angels, and I hope he sticks around,” Minasian said.