Shohei Ohtani has electrified baseball with his ability to hit and pitch. Unfortunately, his UCL injury may cause the Angels to rethink his pitching career.
Before the season, most scouts believed Shohei Ohtani would have to concentrate on either pitching or hitting to be successful at the major league level. It’s safe to say he’s proven the doubters wrong thus far. His latest injury might force the Angels to think differently about his career moving forward.
The news that Ohtani will be shut down with a grade 2 sprain of his UCL joint should set off warning sirens all over the Angels organization. Pitchers who suffer elbow injuries must always be treated with extreme caution. Specifically, an injury to the UCL joint can force a pitcher to undergo Tommy John surgery if it isn’t treated in the right manner.
Angels officials never want to consider TJ surgery and Ohtani in the same thought. He’s arguably the most important member of their team. He’s third on the team in batting average (.289) and first among their starting rotation in ERA with a mark of just 3.10. It’s difficult to discern where Ohtani is more important to the club, but he clearly is crucial to the team’s World Series hopes.
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
It’s fair to wonder how this injury is going to influence the Angels’ handling of Ohtani moving forward. It’s important to note that the team’s management has already tried to limit his load on the mound. He’s missed several starts this season in an effort to rest his arm. We’re not talking about a normal starting pitcher who’s succumbed to injury due to a lot of wear and tear.
Given the fact that the organization has treated his pitching with kid gloves it has to be particularly disheartening that he’s still suffered a fairly serious injury. The Angels front office is going to have to think very carefully about whether or not risking Ohtani on the mound is worthwhile moving forward.
Removing pitching from his duties would greatly reduce the possibility of him missing serious time due to injury. Swinging the bat does put some stress on the elbow, but nothing like throwing offspeed pitches. Relegating Ohtani to playing in the field on a daily basis would be the safe move.
Of course, they’d have to find him a position. To date he’s only played for the club as a pitcher or DH. He has the athleticism to play in the outfield or at first base, but it might take him some time to learn the nuances of that position. Still, there’s plenty of time in his career for him to get that accomplished.
The more interesting question is whether or not removing pitching from his duties would allow him to improve as a hitter. A .289 average with six home runs is good production from a rookie, but his swing looks to have more capability than just posting good numbers. It’s possible he could transform himself into a great hitter if he were to solely focus on that aspect of the game.
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The Angels aren’t going to suddenly give up on Ohtani as a pitcher as a result of one serious, but not catastrophic injury. The injury to his UCL joint does put the club one step closer to pulling the plug on him as a pitcher though. It’s something the club’s brass will keep a very close eye on in the future. This could end up being the first step towards Ohtani being shut down as a pitcher. That would be a tough pill for he and the Angels to swallow, but it might be best for the club in the long haul.