Shohei Ohtani News: Angels Reveal Pitcher Rejected MRI Earlier in Season
The world of baseball is worse without Shohei Ohtani taking the mound every five games, and the Los Angeles Angels are feeling the brunt of it.
An MRI revealed a tear in Ohtani's UCL on his throwing arm, effectively ending his season as a pitcher and bringing into question the potential for his second Tommy John surgery as he prepares to hit free agency.
The 29-year-old was possibly looking at opportunities to play for upwards of $600 million, and now his future capabilities are being called into question — although Ohtani is still extremely valuable as a designated hitter.
Ohtani experienced issues with the middle finger on his throwing hand throughout the season, which limited him on the mound at times but never seemed a long-term threat to his viability as a pitcher.
Angels general manager Perry Minasian revealed Saturday that Ohtani was offered to have imaging done to diagnose his finger, but he declined. It is thought that had he undergone an MRI test, the UCL tear could have also been caught.
"I've received a lot of inquiries about the imaging thing, and yes, the only time we got imaging was after the injury," Minasian said. "With that being said, the imaging was offered earlier in the year, and him and his representation turned it down. And I understand why. It was a cramp in his finger, and they didn't believe it warranted imaging. So that's where it is."
(Via MLB.com)
Ohtani hasn't been able to pitch since the injury was diagnosed, but that hasn't stopped him from being lethal behind the plate. His 44 home runs still lead the league. He hit a double and a triple and walked twice in Saturday's win over the New York Mets. He 1-2 at the plate with 3 walks the night before.
Clearly, Ohtani is still making an impact despite facing a devastating injury.
