Shohei Ohtani’s Career With Angels Teeters on Edge

Shohei Ohtani’s Season Ends Abruptly with Oblique Injury

Shohei Ohtani’s remarkable season with the Los Angeles Angels has come to an untimely end, leaving fans and baseball enthusiasts with mixed emotions. The Angels officially declared on Saturday that Ohtani had been sidelined due to an oblique injury, forcing him onto the dreaded 10-day injured list. The unfortunate consequence? We won’t see him grace the diamond again this year. It’s a bitter pill to swallow for fans of the dynamic player.

In a somewhat unceremonious fashion, Ohtani’s locker at Angel Stadium was swiftly cleared out, and his water bottle found its new home in the trash, all of this unfolding after the team’s recent loss to the Detroit Tigers (DET 11, LAA 2). The departure of Ohtani’s personal items from the locker room spoke volumes about the seriousness of his condition.

General Manager Perry Minasian is set to provide more details about Ohtani’s situation later in the day on Saturday. Ohtani’s absence from the lineup dates back to September 3, when he initially sustained the oblique injury during batting practice on September 4. The Angels had been cautiously listing him as “day-to-day” in the hope of a swift recovery. In recent days, Ohtani valiantly tried to make a comeback, participating in pregame workouts, but alas, he was unable to take the field for an actual game.

Angels manager Phil Nevin had this to say about Ohtani’s unrelenting desire to play, “He’s always wanting to play. He’s just going through his stuff.” These words reflect Ohtani’s unwavering commitment to his craft.

Adding to the complexity of Ohtani’s situation, he also grapples with a torn ligament in his right (pitching) elbow. His agent, Nez Balelo, recently commented on the inevitability of Ohtani undergoing some form of procedure on the elbow. While Tommy John surgery is the traditional treatment for torn elbow ligaments, it’s not the only option. Alternative procedures are available for specific cases. With his season now in the rearview mirror, it appears highly likely that Ohtani will soon go under the surgeon’s knife.

The shocking news of Ohtani’s emptied locker came on the heels of third baseman Anthony Rendon revealing that he had been nursing a fractured tibia, despite the team’s initial insistence on labeling it as a mere bone bruise. Rendon has been sidelined since July 4, and the Angels’ track record of misleading injury issues doesn’t inspire confidence.

Regrettably, this stint on the injured list raises doubts about whether Ohtani has played his final game as an Angel. The impending free agency looms large, and Ohtani has expressed his eagerness to join a contender, something the Angels are not at the moment. Even with the looming specter of elbow surgery, Ohtani is poised to be a hot commodity in the free-agent market, with the possibility of signing a contract in the ballpark of $500 million. The sooner he undergoes surgery, the sooner he can set his sights on a triumphant return to the field, initially as a hitter and later as a pitcher.

Ohtani’s last on-field appearance occurred during the Labor Day weekend series in Oakland, where he had an off day, going 0 for 3 with two walks.

To put Ohtani’s remarkable season into perspective, the 29-year-old is set to finish with a jaw-dropping batting line of .304/.412/.654 and an AL-leading 44 home runs as a hitter. As a pitcher, he contributed 132 innings with an impressive 3.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts. Ohtani’s brilliance culminated in an astounding 10.0 WAR, establishing a strong case for his 2021-23 seasons as perhaps the greatest three-year run in baseball history. He remains the front-runner for the 2023 AL MVP award, which would mark the second of his career.

However, the grim reality for the Angels is that they currently stand at 68-80, a staggering 13.5 games behind a wild-card spot with just 14 games left to play. Their postseason hopes could be dashed as early as Saturday. The Angels’ last playoff appearance dates back to 2014, and they’ve never managed to achieve a winning record with Ohtani on their roster. The road ahead looks challenging, but Ohtani’s indelible mark on the game continues to shine bright, no matter the circumstances.

By: M Z Hossain, Editor Sky Buzz Feed