Angels News: Shohei Ohtani to Remain DHing While Weighing Options for Injured Elbow

The Angels must protect Ohtani from himself going forward.

The news that took the baseball world by storm on Wednesday evening was that Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani had suffered a torn UCL. Ohtani was removed early in his start during the team's first game of a doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds with arm fatigue.

He had dealt with it a few times throughout the season, even skipping his start last week. But nothing indicated that it would result in a torn UCL. Ohtani suffered this injury before, and it required him to have Tommy John Surgery years ago.

The hope is that it won’t need surgery this time, and he will try to find other options to deal with this. Ohtani will be shut down as a pitcher for the rest of the season, but he is going to continue to be a hitter while weighing different options.

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

I understand that Ohtani likely wants to help his team out down the stretch of the season. He is truly the ultimate competitor.

But with the Angels essentially out of the playoff picture, this doesn’t seem like a great idea.

There is little to no point in having him stay as a hitter with a torn UCL if the team isn’t in the playoff picture. If he were to shut down for the rest of the season, it would likely help his impending free agency, too.

He already may be losing some money due to this injury, so no need for him to potentially injure himself more. It’s an unfortunate situation all around and one that is sad to see as he is the face of baseball right now.

The Angels need to help protect Ohtani from himself and shut him down. He may not like it, but it will be better for his future in the sport.