After learning that Los Angeles Angels’ star Shohei Ohtani tore his UCL in his right elbow, details emerged revealing how long this injury has been a problem.
On Saturday afternoon’s press conference with Angels General Manager Perry Minasian, he revealed that Ohtani was offered imaging after feeling a cramp in his finger, but this offer was turned down by Ohtani and his management, believing it was something less.
It’s understandable that he turned down this offer, as cramps could be anything. It should be noted that this cramp was in his right hand, and on his throwing arm where he would eventually tear his UCL.
Though Ohtani is out of the pitching rotation for the season, he will still see time at the plate as the Angel’s designated hitter. Ohtani is a highly competitive player who wants to continue reps in his highly productive season.
Ohtani was 10-5 as the team’s starting pitcher and is currently in the driver’s seat for MVP as he’s batting a .305 to go with 44 home runs. Though his value as a pitcher is high, his ability as a batter is much more valuable, and he may be in a situation where he chooses between being a batter and a pitcher, as he would need off-season surgery to repair the UCL.
Ohtani is the clear frontrunner for MVP regardless of his decision, but it’s an unfortunate moment in the middle of a sensational season.
