Shohei Ohtani’s UCL injury and MLB’s $500m questions: Can the Angels’ two-way star keep pitching if he has a SECOND elbow surgery… and how much will it cost him in free agency?
Shohei Ohtani’s UCL injury and MLB’s $500 million asking: Can the two-time Angels star continue to pitch if he needs SECOND elbow surgery…and how much will it cost him in free agency?
The potential for Shohei Ohtani to sign the most lucrative contract in sports history is clouded by his second UCL tear. Baseball’s two-way sensation will no longer be pitching for the Los Angeles Angels in 2023, and will now head to Free Agency, where he will undergo another major pitching elbow surgery.
Of course, even at half strength, Ohtani remains baseball’s most explosive offensive force. His 44 home runs lead the majors, and his OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) is a career best: 1,069. And even as the Angels’ season in Anaheim continues to take a turn for the worse, Ohtani remains the favorite to win the American League MVP.
But the reality for Japan’s biggest export is undeniably grim: Once rumored to attract $500 million offers in free agency, Ohtani could now be forced to take a smaller contract as a free agent while serving as a designated hitter. serves and continues to rehabilitate his beleaguered elbow.
If history is any indication, a second operation on Tommy John could completely jeopardize his pitching career.
And if that’s the case, Ohtani, like Babe Ruth before him, may have to leave the hill altogether to focus all his attention on the beating.
Ohtani remains the most feared hitter in baseball, but his future on the mound is in jeopardy