Shohei Ohtani traveled with the Los Angeles Angels to New York for a weekend collection with the Mets and can proceed to be their designated hitter in the interim, the membership showed Thursday.
The 2-way megastar used to be identified with a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his proper elbow on Wednesday, and the Angels mentioned he would now not pitch for the remainder of the 2023 season.
Ohtani, who leads the most important leagues in house runs, is looking for a 2d opinion at the UCL tear and can stay swinging his bat for Los Angeles till then.
The appropriate-hander began the primary recreation of the doubleheader however left after 26 pitches. With a 2-2 rely in opposition to the Reds’ Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Ohtani got here off the mound and gave the impression to be in ache. Supervisor Phil Nevin and the educational team of workers got here out and got rid of Ohtani from the sport.
Ohtani, 29, is ready to turn out to be a loose agent after the season and used to be extensively anticipated to land the most important contract in baseball historical past.
The 3-time All-Celebrity and 2021 American League MVP used to be having in all probability his biggest season but. He leads the majors in house runs (44), triples (seven), slugging proportion (.664) and OPS (1.069). He additionally has 22 doubles, 78 walks and 91 RBIs.
At the mound, he’s 10-5 with a three.14 ERA whilst retaining batters to a .183 moderate. Ohtani underwent Tommy John surgical procedure after the 2018 season and performed in 106 video games the next season (even though he didn’t pitch or play within the box, serving simplest as a delegated hitter).
The Angels entered Thursday 10 1/2 video games out of an American League wild-card spot at 61-67.
—Box Stage Media
