The Los Angeles Angels had their worst-case scenario happen earlier this week when it was determined that both Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani would be sidelined with significant injuries. However, in Ohtani’s case, it seems like the team has a plan in place to keep him on the field despite his torn UCL in his right elbow.
It has already been determined that Ohtani will not pitch for the remainder of the season as he will likely need offseason surgery to repair his elbow. But his dual-threat ability as a fantastic hitter will seemingly keep him in the Angels lineup for the rest of the season.
Reports emerged on Thursday from ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez that Ohtani will likely still be able to hit despite his UCL tear.
Just said this on SportsCenter: Shohei Ohtani will be with the Angels in New York, and it looks like he’ll continue to hit while he decides the next course of action with his UCL tear.
— Alden González (@Alden_Gonzalez) August 24, 2023
And it turns out Gonzalez ended up being correct, as the Angels listed their starting lineup for Friday’s game against the New York Mets, which included Ohtani as their designated hitter.
📍New York
📺: @BallySportWest
📻: @AngelsRadioKLAA #GoHalos x @FBMSupply pic.twitter.com/v6mmBK0GVJ— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) August 25, 2023
The rest of the season will obviously be crucial for Ohtani as he prepares for a potentially record-setting contract either with the Angels, or with another team in free agency this coming offseason.
Being sidelined for the remainder of the year obviously could have largely hindered his potential market, so it is great news that he will still be able to hit.
It will certainly be interesting to see whether Ohtani will remain the team’s designated hitter for the remainder of the season, or if they opt to see if he can return to the field at some point this year.
