Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Angels) is facing a surgical crisis, and depending on whether or not he undergoes surgery, his salary and future plans could be disrupted.
Ohtani started and batted second in the first game of the Angels’ 2023 Major League Baseball (MLB) home doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds at Angels Stadium in California, U.S.A., on Sept. 24 (local time) and was removed early after throwing one and one-third innings. A medical examination revealed a torn ligament in his right elbow.
He will have surgery. “Ohtani will not pitch anymore this season,” Angels general manager Perry Minasian announced after the second game of the doubleheader. However, he will continue to play as a hitter. He started the game against the New York Mets on June 26 as the No. 2 designated hitter. As for his future plans, including surgery, the team said it will decide at a later date.
If Ohtani does end up on the operating table, it will have a major impact on his future schedule. He has already undergone Tommy John surgery (elbow) in October 2018, so a second surgery would be a longer and more difficult return. According to MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, “If Ohtani has surgery in early September, he won’t be able to hit until Opening Day in 2024. He won’t be able to pitch in 2024,” meaning he’ll have to take a year off from both hitting and pitching.
The surgery will also have a major impact on Ohtani’s salary when he becomes a free agent at the end of this season. MLB.com interviewed executives from multiple MLB clubs on Aug. 25 to examine Ohtani’s price tag and found that it will likely drop significantly from previous estimates. Initially, Ohtani was expected to become the first MLB player to sign a mega-contract totaling more than $500 million, but the injury has made that less likely.
As one National League team executive put it, “Ohtani’s price tag has been cut in half. I don’t know if any team is going to pay that much for a pitcher who has had two elbow ligament reconstructions.” An American League team executive also said, “If Ohtani goes under the knife, he won’t pitch in 2024. He will have to play at least one season as a designated hitter.”카지노사이트
This season, Ohtani was batting .305 (462-for-141) with 44 home runs and 91 RBIs in 125 games before the Mets on June 26. On April 24, he hit his 44th home run of the season, passing Matt Olson of the Atlanta Braves (43) for the MLB lead.