The Los Angeles Angels' Shohei Ohtani will not pitch the remainder of the season after being diagnosed with elbow ligament damage Wednesday, when he left his scheduled start after just 1⅓ innings, general manager Perry Minasian said.
Ohtani was diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow after leaving the first game of the Angels' double header against the Cincinnati Reds, who swept both games at Angel Stadium, winning 9-4 in the opener and 7-3 in the nightcap.
"He has a tear, and he won't pitch the rest of the year," Minasian said. "We're going to get a second opinion, go from there."
The Japanese two-way star hit his MLB-leading 44th home run, with a man on, in the first inning of the opener. Ohtani struck out two and walked one before leaving with "arm fatigue" and was removed for a pinch hitter.
He returned to play in the second game as the Angels' designated hitter and went 1-for-5 with a double and a run scored but was robbed of a two-out two-run double by Reds center fielder TJ Friedl.
Ohtani did not pitch during the second half of his first MLB season after suffering an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery but that did not prevent him from continuing to hit and winning the American League Rookie of the Year Award.
In 2021, he was the unanimous selection for AL Most Valuable Player. With his free agency looming, this season, in which he is the league's MVP favorite, could be Ohtani's last in an Angels uniform.