Ohtani out for rest of '23 with oblique injury

ANAHEIM -- One of the greatest individual seasons in Major League history officially came to an early end on Saturday, as two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani was placed on the 10-day injured list with a strained right oblique. He will miss the rest of the season. 

Ohtani’s locker was cleaned out after Friday’s 11-2 loss to the Tigers, the 11th straight game that he was held out of the lineup. He initially sustained his oblique injury on a swing while taking batting practice on Sept. 4. He remained day to day and was even in the lineup on Monday in Seattle before being scratched. 

The decision makes sense, especially considering Ohtani also tore his ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow on Aug. 23. He’s also already considered a lock to win the AL MVP Award for the second time in three years. Ohtani is expected to need surgery for the UCL tear, although there’s a chance he could avoid a second Tommy John surgery because the tear is in a different part of his UCL than in 2018. There should be more clarity later on Saturday. 

But either way, it puts a new wrinkle on his upcoming free agency, as he isn’t likely to pitch in 2024, especially if he undergoes Tommy John surgery. Ohtani, though, is still expected to command a record deal in free agency because of his unique two-way prowess. His agent, Nez Balelo, said Ohtani would be ready to hit on Opening Day in 2024, even if he undergoes surgery.

Ohtani, 29, had the best offensive season of his six-year career and batted .304/.412/.654 with 44 homers, eight triples, 26 doubles, 95 RBIs, 102 runs and 20 stolen bases in 135 games. He leads the AL in homers, triples and walks. He also played in 10 games as designated hitter after suffering his UCL tear, as he wanted to remain in the lineup. He was held out of the lineup just twice during the season before sustaining his oblique injury. 

On the mound, Ohtani went 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts in 132 innings. But he failed to get to 162 innings, so he will not rank among qualified starting pitchers like he did last year, when he posted a 2.33 ERA in a career-high 166 innings.

But it was still another incredible season that saw Ohtani win World Baseball Classic MVP honors in leading Team Japan to the title, and he was also named an All-Star as a pitcher and a hitter for the third straight season. And after six years with the Angels, his future with the club is uncertain, as he’s heading into free agency over the offseason.