Angels' Shohei Ohtani Has UCL Tear, Won't Pitch Again in 2023 Due to Elbow Injury

Shohei Ohtani won't pitch again during the 2023 season after it was revealed he suffered a torn UCL in his right elbow.

Los Angeles Angels general manager Perry Minasian announced Ohtani's diagnosis late Wednesday night after the three-time All-Star was removed from his start against the Cincinnati Reds in the second inning earlier in the day.

Minasian noted no decision has yet been made about Ohtani potentially undergoing Tommy John surgery:

"As far as plans and details, I don't have those yet," he said. "I've been in contact with his representation. Obviously he hit the second game. He's played with this, in '18, but with that being said we'll take it day by day and see where it goes. Obviously disappointing news. I feel terrible for him. But it is what it is. If anybody can bounce back, it's him."

Wednesday was a particularly brutal day for the Angels in what has been another disappointing season for the franchise.

Mike Trout, who played in Tuesday's game after being activated off the injured list, is going back on the IL after experiencing pain in the left hand he had surgery on to repair a broken hamate bone.

The Ohtani news is significant not only because it will keep him from pitching the rest of this season, but it could call into question his long-term ability to remain a starter as he prepares to enter free agency this offseason if he has to undergo elbow reconstruction surgery.

Ohtani previously had Tommy John surgery in October 2018. He didn't pitch again until the 2020 season when he made two abbreviated starts before being shutdown with a strained flexor pronator mass.

It's not impossible for a pitcher who has undergone multiple Tommy John surgeries to have success in MLB.

Nathan Eovaldi had the procedure in 2007 and 2016. The Texas Rangers starter been named to the All-Star team in two of the last three seasons and finished fourth in AL Cy Young voting in 2021. The right-hander has dealt with a series of injuries since his second surgery, including a forearm strain that has had him on the IL since July 28.

Ohtani will continue to be in the lineup for the Angels as a designated hitter. He played in the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader, going 1-for-5 with a double in a 7-3 loss.

The Angels went all-in prior to the trade deadline in an attempt to make the playoffs with Ohtani. They made deals to acquire Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo López, C.J. Cron, Randal Grichuk, and Dominic Leone.

Since a 4-1 win over the Atlanta Braves on July 31 that improved their record to 56-52, the Angels have lost 15 of their last 21 games and are 10.5 games out of the final wild card spot in the AL.