With his pitching future in question, Angels' Shohei Ohtani will continue to hit . . . for now
The Angels' Shohei Ohtani heads to first during the as he lines out during the second inning in the second game of a doubleheader against the Reds on Wednesday in Anaheim, Calif. Credit: AP/Mark J. Terrill
Fans in Shohei Ohtani jerseys streamed into Citi Field on Friday, hoping to see a few at-bats from the generational player who has changed the sport, changed what we thought to be possible and even changed the way we gauge elite baseball talent.
They were hoping, too, that despite the ligament tear in his right elbow, Ohtani will get to continue to shape this game as a two-way player who excels as a pitcher and hitter.
On Wednesday, news broke that Ohtani has a UCL tear in his pitching elbow but will, for now, remain as a designated hitter, which he did in the Angels’ 3-1 win over the Mets on Friday night.
Ohtani was applauded every time he came to the plate and went 1-for-2 with three walks, one intentional (a decision that was heartily booed). He also was regaled with chants of “sign with the Mets!”
After Kodai Senga hit Nolan Schanuel with a pitch to lead off the third inning, Ohtani hit a 115-mph double. Brandon Drury delivered a sacrifice fly to drive in Schanuel and Mike Moustakas singled home Ohtani to make it 2-0.
Senga allowed two runs, four hits and three walks in 6 2⁄3 innings. He struck out 10 for his third double-digit strikeout game of the year. Francisco Lindor homered off Patrick Sandoval in the third for the Mets’ lone run, and they fell into last place in the NL East at 59-70.
Ohtani’s ability to produce despite a torn UCL belies the complexities of this particular injury to this particular player, especially as he’s set to enter free agency.
He has not yet decided if he will undergo Tommy John surgery for the second time since 2018. If he does, he won’t be able to pitch next year, but questions linger on the possibility — or wisdom — of allowing him to hit sooner than he can throw.
Then there’s the fact that Angels general manager Perry Minasian wouldn’t say if it is a partial or complete tear of his UCL (pitchers can feasibly play through some partial tears, as former Yankee Masahiro Tanaka did for years).
Manager Phil Nevin said it’ll be up to Ohtani — who is set to command the biggest free-agent contract in MLB history — to decide how long he wants to DH. “He’s always been honest with everybody about his body and where he’s at and about how he feels. And I’m sure when the time comes, he’ll make a wise decision on whatever he wants to do,” Nevin said of potential surgery. “I would not put anything past him. I really wouldn’t. He’s a special person, a special player, he’s special to our game and I think everybody knows that.”
That, though, introduces the true unknown: Revision Tommy John surgeries are tricky, and there’s always a risk that this could cost him more than just a season. It could cost Ohtani the thing that makes him Ohtani: His ability to both pitch and hit better than most people can do either.
Angels centerfielder Mike Trout, who recently went back on the injured list as he continues to deal with the effects of a broken bone in his hand, wouldn’t hear of it, though.
“There’s no doubt in my mind [he’ll hit and pitch again],” Trout said Friday. “He always wants to be on that field. It’s tough. It’s a long season. To go out there and play every single game — I think he only missed one or two games this year — and then pitch every five days. It’s tough on the body, for him throwing that hard . . . I was devastated.”
The uncertainty put a distinct pall on what should have been the celebratory act of watching the greatest “Sho’’ on Earth, and the news has done nothing short of upend the baseball world.
There’s no telling how much Ohtani’s injury will influence the offseason free-agency sweepstakes.
The 29-year-old’s batting average (.305) is third among qualified hitters in the American League. He is first in the majors in home runs (44) and third in the AL in RBIs (91). He also has a 3.14 ERA, third among qualified AL starters.
But although he did not feel any “pain,” per se, there were indications that something wasn’t completely right. Ohtani had a start pushed back earlier this month because of arm fatigue and has dealt with cramps and dehydration. The Angels, though, didn’t image the arm until Wednesday, Minasian said.
Nevin said Ohtani cannot injure the UCL further by hitting and Minasian said, simply, that Ohtani is “going to play.”
“As far as a second opinion goes, they’re still working on that,” Minasian said. “Him and his representation are going to come up with a plan, but as we said earlier today, he’s going to play until he tells us he’s not. He’s having a special year and he’s been a big part of this club and we’re excited to still have him in the lineup.”
Nevin and Minasian made it clear that Ohtani will steer the ship, as this is a walk year and the Angels, who are 9 1⁄2 games out of the last wild-card spot, are all but done.
“He loves to be out here with his teammates,” Nevin said. “He wants to be out here in front of the fans, and I think it’s a testament to him and who he is and what he’s meant to not only this team and this clubhouse but to myself, to this game.”
The fans know it. The game knows it. The hope is that Ohtani can continue doing it.
Laura Albanese is a reporter, feature writer and columnist covering local professional sports teams; she began at Newsday in 2007 as an intern.
