ANAHEIM, Calif. — Shohei Ohtani will have surgery soon on the ligament tear in his pitching elbow after the Los Angeles Angels’ two-way star was ruled out for the rest of the season Saturday due to an oblique injury.

Ohtani and the Angels, out of playoff contention, decided to wrap up his season after an MRI exam showed persistent irritation in his oblique muscles, General Manager Perry Minasian said. The injury was likely to prevent Ohtani, who had already missed 11 consecutive games, from hitting effectively in the season’s final two weeks.

“We kind of had a feeling that something was coming,” Angels Manager Phil Nevin said. “He fought it. He tried. He’s upset by it. But it just got to a point, an understanding that he just wasn’t going to be able to go again this year.”

Ohtani now intends to have surgery on the torn elbow ligament to prepare for next season, although Minasian didn’t know whether it would be Tommy John surgery or another procedure. Although Ohtani is unlikely to pitch next season, his agent has said his client wants to be ready to play as a designated hitter in 2024 for whatever team he chooses in free agency.

“Shohei is one of a kind, a great player, great person,” Minasian said. “Anybody that knows him, has a chance to talk to him, has been around him, he’s a team guy. He’s a pretty special guy, special player. It’s been a pleasure to have a chance to get to know him, and hopefully he is here for a long time.”

Ohtani was placed on the 10-day injured list Saturday. He has not played since Sept. 3 because of the oblique injury, and his season as a pitcher ended on Aug. 23 after he tore his elbow ligament during a game against Cincinnati.

The two injuries ended one of the most remarkable seasons in major league history, with two-way production that made him a favorite to win his second AL MVP award in three years and created speculation he might get a contract for $500 million or more as a free agent.

Minasian said Ohtani’s MRI revealed “a small irritation in that area, so we talked to the doctors and decided to shut it down for the season.”

Nearly all the personal items had been removed from Ohtani’s locker and the adjoining empty stall after Friday night’s game, and that abrupt change sparked widespread speculation about its meaning for Ohtani’s future.

Minasian downplayed the importance of Ohtani’s abrupt departure from the clubhouse, saying the slugger packed up only after he got the MRI results in the early innings of Friday’s game.

“There’s no story here,” Minasian said. “It’s just him getting ready (for 2024). He’s so, so focused on, ‘Season’s over, I’ve got to ready for ’24,’ and that was what his mindset was.”

RED SOX: Boston put first baseman Triston Casas on the 10-day injured list because of right shoulder inflammation.

The move, retroactive to Friday, came after the rookie slugger was scratched from the starting lineup for a second straight game.

Casas is batting .263 with 24 home runs and 65 RBI in 132 games.

Casas ranks first among AL rookies in walks (70) and OPS (.857) and is second in home runs. He has hit .317 with 15 home runs in 54 games since the All-Star break.

The Red Sox recalled infielder Bobby Dalbec from Triple-A Worcester. Dalbec hit 25 home runs as a rookie in 2021, the sixth-highest rookie total in Red Sox history.

YANKEES: Reliever Anthony Misiewicz was released from Allegheny General Hospital after taking a line drive to the face, and New York placed him on the seven-day concussion injured list.

The 28-year-old was struck by a 100.6 mph liner from Pittsburgh’s Ji Hwan Bae in the sixth inning of a 7-5 win on Friday. With two runners on, Misiewicz couldn’t get his glove up in time for an attempted catch.

The left-hander was treated by medical personnel while down for several minutes. He was then able to walk to a cart with a towel against the left side of his face.

SATURDAY’S GAMES

ORIOLES 8, RAYS 0: Gunnar Henderson homered and drove in three runs, Grayson Rodriguez pitched eight outstanding innings and Baltimore secured a potentially crucial tiebreaker in the AL East with a win at home.

After losing the first two of this four-game set, the Orioles (92-56) moved a game ahead of second-place Tampa Bay (92-58) and clinched the season series against the Rays. That means if the teams finish tied for first in the division, Baltimore would win.

MARLINS 11, BRAVES 5: Jake Burger hit a go-ahead two-run homer and Jazz Chisholm Jr. added a grand slam in the eighth inning as Miami pulled away to win at home.

Luis Arraez and Yuli Gurriel also went deep for the Marlins, who became the first NL East team to win a series against the division champions. The Braves were 11-0-1 in their previous series against division opponents.

Matt Olson hit his major league-leading 52nd homer and overtook Andruw Jones as Atlanta’s single-season home run leader. Jones hit 51 in 2005.

ROCKIES 9, GIANTS 5: San Francisco pitchers walked seven, matching their second-most this season, and Colorado overcame a three-run deficit to beat the Giants in the opener of a day-night doubleheader in Denver.

GUARDIANS 2, RANGERS 1: Steven Kwan drove in Ramón Laureano three batters after Tyler Freeman’s tying single in the eighth inning, rallying Cleveland to a victory over visiting Texas.

YANKEES 6, PIRATES 3: Giancarlo Stanton hit a solo home run in the third inning for just his second hit in eight games, New York relievers retired 15 consecutive batters and the Yankees won in Pittsburgh to move three games over .500 for the first time in a month.

Stanton led off the third with his 24th home run this season, a 418-foot solo drive off Luis Ortiz (4-5) into the left-field bleachers that extended the Yankees’ lead to 4-2. The five-time All-Star is 2 for 27 since Sept. 6 and has three hits, each a home run, in 31 at-bats since Sept. 5. He is hitting a career-low .195.

Copy the Story Link

« Previous

Sidelines: Red Sox fans need to face fact that Chaim Bloom just didn’t get it done

Next »

Miami QB Tua Tagovailoa a tough matchup for New England