Los Angeles Angels: Shohei Ohtani heading to DL with UCL sprain
Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels left his start on Wednesday with what was said to be a blister. Friday, the injury got more serious when the Angels announced Ohtani was going to the disabled list with a grade two UCL tear.
Despite a regression in recent weeks, all season it’s felt like it might be the Los Angeles Angels time to return to the postseason. Mike Trout and Andrelton Simmons—who is also on the DL now—have both been having career years. Shohei Ohtani had somehow been matching his sky-high expectations—before the recent news took him to the DL.
The injury bug that plagued the Dodgers looks to have spread to Los Angeles AL team.
Minor injury gets serious
After leaving his start Thursday, the Los Angeles Angels expected that Shohei Ohtani would maybe miss one start with a blister — today that sounds like a very sweet alternative. The Angels stated that Ohtani will be re-evaluated in three weeks. That means he won’t throw for at least three weeks, likely longer.
Shohei Ohtani will be placed on the disabled list with a grade 2 sprain of the UCL. He underwent a PRP and Stem Cell injection yesterday with Dr. Steve Yoon in Los Angeles. He will be re-evaluated in 3 weeks and we will update his plan of care at that time.
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) June 8, 2018
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But, believe it or not, it still could be worse. Ohtani’s strain is a grade two, meaning he may or may not need Tommy John’s Surgery. Tommy John’s usually takes players away from the game for about a year.
Ohtani likely to hit again before pitching
Apparently, with an injury as risky as it is, Ohtani isn’t expected to be anywhere on a baseball field for those three weeks before his re-evaluation. But if those less invasive treatments to his UCL strain show signs of success, Ohtani could be back in the batter’s box before too long.
The UCL is a ligament essential to pitching, hence why pitchers strain or tear it almost exclusively, barring a few exceptions, so it makes sense that Ohtani could hit first. But as with most stories about Ohtani, he’s such an unprecedented player that it’s difficult to make any prediction for sure.
Angels’ bright season is dimming—for now
Heading into and early in the 2018 season, the Angels were as hopeful as any team in baseball. Ohtani was everything you could ask for, and Andrelton Simmons and Mike Trout were hitting out of their minds.
But now Ohtani is out for at least three weeks and Simmons for ten days. The Angels are starting to look more like the 2015 or 2016 Angels: Meh players and one Mike Trout.
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However, hope shouldn’t be entirely lost. Simmons should come back playing like himself. Shohei Ohtani might only be a few weeks away. The Los Angeles Angels best baseball could still be ahead of them.