Los Angeles Angels: It is time to shut down Shohei Ohtani
By Jamaal Artis
Shohei Ohtani was the Los Angeles Angels’ coveted prize this offseason. Now, Ohtani may need to be shut down for the rest of the season.
The Los Angeles Angels worst nightmares about their signature free agent signing are coming to fruition. It was announced today that Shohei Ohtani has been placed on the disabled list. Ohtani had been pulled from his last start after just 40 plus pitches due to a blister on his finger.
Unfortunately, he has been placed on the disabled list due to a sprained ulnar collateral ligament (UCL). This is the most common ligament injury that leads to Tommy John surgery.
When Ohtani signed as a free agent with the Angels, a physical revealed he had a grade 1 sprain. At the time Los Angeles Angels general manager Billy Eppler said there was no concern because scans showed “no acute trauma.”
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At the time the injury was treated with platelet rich plasma injections (PRP). The injections are meant to stimulate regrowth of damaged cells and avoid surgery. Now the sprain is a grade 2 again Ohtani will be given PRP injections, in three weeks Ohtani will be re-evaluated and the team will proceed from there.
There is a solution for the Angels and it’s simple, shut down Ohtani and schedule him for Tommy John surgery. Delaying that with stop-gap solutions is just delaying the inevitable.
It’s understandable the Angels want to avoid surgery, Tommy John at this point probably means Ohtani will be out until next June.
The Angels usually irrelevant in their own media market have become appointment viewing thanks to Ohtani. His exploits on the mound and in the batters’ box make him a unique attraction.
If the Los Angeles Angels have to shut him down they are losing a star attraction and for a team who’s missed the playoffs every year since 2014, they need Ohtani.
The risks are greater if the Angels don’t shutdown Shohei Ohtani, though. By continuing stop-gap solutions, Ohtani’s injury has already worsened. If the PRP injections work as they did back in the off-season there is no guarantee the injury won’t reoccur.
If Ohtani were to continue to pitch and sustains a grade 3 strain then the Angels would be out of options and he would have to undergo Tommy John surgery. The Angels can’t risk that it’s better to just have Ohtani get the surgery.
Shohei Ohtani will be placed on the disabled list with a grade 2 sprain of the UCL. He underwent a PRP and Stem Cell injection yesterday with Dr. Steve Yoon in Los Angeles. He will be re-evaluated in 3 weeks and we will update his plan of care at that time.
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) June 8, 2018
The Angels need only to look to their neighbors up north. When the Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager had a balky elbow last August. They tried stop-gap measures, rest and rehab. Seager played through it, but this spring training the same symptoms reoccurred.
Instead of shutting down Seager the Dodgers opted again for rest and rehab. It did not work and Seager had to undergo Tommy John surgery. Had the Dodgers gone for surgery as soon as October was over then they would have lost Seager for this season but had him ready for the beginning of the 2019 season.
Instead it’s likely Seager won’t be ready to go until the middle of the 2019 season. Wait too long and the Angels could also lose Ohtani for a long time.
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It’s time the Angels bite the bullet and shut down Ohtani or risk damaging his career.