Angels' Shohei Ohtani Didn't Get MRI Before Arm Injury Despite Fatigue, Soreness

New developments regarding Shohei Ohtani's UCL injury have come to light.

Laura Albanese of Newsday reported that Los Angeles Angels general manager Perry Minasian said that the two-way star had displayed cramping and arm fatigue throughout the season but that no additional precautions beyond pushing back his starts were taken.

This means that the team didn't perform an MRI on Ohtani that may have been able to detect that the injury was incoming.

However, Minasian clarified on Saturday that the team did offer to perform an MRI after Ohtani initially experienced cramping in his finger:

The injury Ohtani suffered has taken him off the mound for the remainder of the 2023 season and will likely lead to Tommy John surgery, although Ohtani will be seeking a second opinion.

His performance on the mound in 2023 was excellent, as he went 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA and was a candidate for the AL Cy Young. While his absence will be sting for the Angels pitching staff, his .304 average and 44 home runs at the plate will remain in the lineup.

He is very likely to win the AL MVP based on his play this season, but the impending surgery and recovery could impact his free-agent market value. The perception that the injury could have been avoided, even if impossible to prove, could affect how players view the Angels moving forward.

It is important to note that having multiple Tommy John surgeries is not a career-ending issue for pitchers. Nathan Eovaldi, Mike Clevinger and Jameson Taillon are all examples of active pitchers who have returned following a second surgery.

Ohtani might not return to the mound until 2025.