Uh-Ohtani: The Halos are Hurting

08/25/2023

By: Jeff Yoder

Shohei Ohtani’s UCL Tear, Mike Trout Back on IL — Where Do Angels Go From Here?

If you haven’t already heard, the Angels are in trouble. Just one month after Los Angeles opted to keep Shohei Ohtani at the trade deadline, the two-way superstar is now a one-way bat on a team likely missing the postseason. Ohtani suffered a UCL tear this week and won’t pitch again this season. He’ll still act as the designated hitter, but it may not matter for the Halos, who also placed Mike Trout on the IL. Here’s what we know:

Uh-Ohtani: The UCL Tear 2.0

Ohtani suffered the same injury — a torn ulnar collateral ligament — in 2018, and it led to Tommy John surgery. It’s a ligament tear that severely impacts the pitcher, but swinging a bat is still doable. But this same injury, now at 29 years old… Could it mean a second surgery? Only 42 MLB pitchers have undergone multiple Tommy John surgeries. More than 70 percent did not pitch again, and few others pitched well.

Have we seen the last of Ohtani-the-pitcher?

The Angels couldn’t come to terms with trading away their generational talent last month, but the ‘Offseason of Ohtani’ is approaching fast. The Halos may have to watch the best player in baseball walk away for nothing in return. The Angels (61-67) are 10.5 games back of the wild card without a throwing Ohtani or a batting Trout. They sealed their fate in 2023, and maybe beyond.

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CBS Sports: The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani Era Might Have Just Come to an Abrupt End in Worst-Case Scenario

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