Rafu Wire Service and Staff Reports
ANAHEIM — Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani will miss the remainder of the MLB season after being placed on the injured list, the club said Saturday.
Ohtani had been held out of his 11th straight game with a right oblique injury and his locker was cleaned out Friday.
The 29-year-old had already been shut down for the season as a pitcher after tearing the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow on Aug. 23, and Angels general manager Perry Minasian said Ohtani is scheduled for elbow surgery.
“I don’t have details on the procedure, but he wants to get it done as soon as he can,” Minasian said, according to MLB.com.
Ohtani had Tommy John surgery after his 2018 Rookie of the Year season, but may undergo a different procedure for his current elbow complaint.
He had continued batting as designated hitter but had not played since experiencing right oblique tightness during a pregame batting practice session on Sept. 4.
The club said Ohtani has been placed on the injured list and “will miss the remainder of the 2023 season.”
Ohtani, who will hit free agency at the end of the season, has 44 home runs and 20 stolen bases while going 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts this season as the Angels’ top pitcher.
He leads the American League in homers and walks but his 132 innings pitched is short of the 162 needed to rank among qualified starting pitchers for the second straight season.
The winner of the AL’s 2021 MVP Award is a strong favorite to win again this season.
Despite being deactivated, Ohtani was in the dugout with the Angels during Saturday’s home game against Detroit, and is expected to be around the team through the current homestand. The Angels’ last game is Oct. 1 against visiting Oakland.
Entering Monday, the Angels were 13.5 games out of a wild card playoff spot. With a record of 68-80, they could be mathematically eliminated from the postseason as early as this Saturday. The Anaheim baseballers have not earned a playoff berth since 2014, and during Ohtani’s tenure have never posted a winning record.