Ohtani Update

[T.G.]

Per Jon Heyman...

https://frsbaseball.com/mlb/angels/heyman-sources-say-ohtani-ucl-tear-is-a-new-one/

The Los Angeles Angels seemed to do everything right for two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani, but sources say the Grade 2 tear found is a new tear, unrelated to the Grade 1 tear he was reported to have when he picked the Angels. 

[Torridd]

Ugh. Is this related at all to him hitting or is this totally a pitching injury?

[DMVol]

2 minutes ago, Torridd said:

Ugh. Is this related at all to him hitting or is this totally a pitching injury?

Probably never know for sure....

[Angel Oracle]

Does this raise questions about his durability down the road?    Maybe he needs to decide on hitting full time or pitching full time down the road?

This franchise deserves good health news for the next 2-3 years, to make up for the totally crappy past 2-3 years!!!!!

[Angelsfan1984]

6 minutes ago, Torridd said:

Ugh. Is this related at all to him hitting or is this totally a pitching injury?

I don't think I've ever heard of someone tearing their UCL hitting. Seager tore it but I assume its from throwing across the diamond.

[zenmaster]

Let's get the surgery over with already. Fix every ligament he has while you are in there. 

[GrittyVeterans]

Still doesn't guarantee TJS right away. We're just going to have to be patient with this. It sucks

[Blarg]

Being gay isn't going to help.

[Adios]

I personally don't believe that hitting played a factor in the injury.  Therefore, he should do the surgery asap, come back better than ever, and get back to being the unique 2 way talent that he was.  He will be fine.  We have seen many pitchers have TJ surgery and come back and be just as effective.  Lets not waste any more time.  The sooner he's back the sooner he can be part of a significant playoff run with the Angels.  

[UndertheHalo]

The baseball deities telling us to fuc*k ourselves.  

That’s what this is. 

[red321]

1 hour ago, BackUpTheTruck said:

If Ohtani we're to give up pitching, which would be tragic, he should consider switch hitting.

because hitting in the major leagues is so easy he can just pick it up?

[Slegnaac]

If only they had made him closer....

[laagamer]

F*ck this. 

[stormngt]

1 hour ago, Angel Oracle said:

Does this raise questions about his durability down the road?    Maybe he needs to decide on hitting full time or pitching full time down the road?

This franchise deserves good health news for the next 2-3 years, to make up for the totally crappy past 2 or 3  3-4 years!!!!!

Fixed

[VariousCrap]

Stop delaying the inevitable and get the surgery now.

[failos]

There’s something seriously wrong with this team’s injury prevention protocol....

[NJHalo]

This all started when they fired Mike Butcher. I swear he put a curse on this pitching staff.  

[BackUpTheTruck]

1 hour ago, red321 said:

because hitting in the major leagues is so easy he can just pick it up?

Because he is right handed.

[red321]

40 minutes ago, BackUpTheTruck said:

Because he is right handed.

and that means what?

Has he ever hit right handed before? At any advanced level? Most pitchers are asked to "hit" the same side they throw with, in large part to protect their arm and yet Ohtani bats left handed so doesn't that tell you he's much better from the left side

[stormngt]

1 hour ago, VariousCrap said:

Stop delaying the inevitable and get the surgery now.

No reason to.  He misses 2019 regardless of he gets surgery now or October 

[red321]

13 minutes ago, BackUpTheTruck said:

This is all a moot point.  Ohtani will pitch again. 

All I am saying is that if Ohtani decided to never pitch again, switch hitting is on the table because he has already done the hard part, learn to hit from the left side as a right hander.  I am not one to underestimate Shohei Ohtani's ability to learn hitting right handed, especially when Ohtani is right handed.

[DMVol]

17 minutes ago, Randy Gradishar said:

The only thing that complicates this is the chance that he pulls a Skaggs and takes 23 months. Putting the surgery off would then cost him 2020 as well.

Skaggs had another injury...

[T.G.]

Forget switch hitting... he should just learn to pitch left handed.

Baseball is easy.

[Angelsjunky]

As has been noted elsewhere, the timelines for hitting and pitching are different after TJS. Even if Ohtani has the surgery, say, in August, he could still start 2019 as the main DH. The Angels might want to baby him to start, but I could see him getting 120+ starts as DH, while not pitching until next offseason. 

Either way it seems very unlikely he pitched again in 2018, even if stem cells are successful. I’m my non-expert and entirely speculative opinion, best case scenario is that he returns as DH some time in the second half.

[CubsFan]

4 hours ago, BackUpTheTruck said:

This is all a moot point.  Ohtani will pitch again. 

All I am saying is that if Ohtani decided to never pitch again, switch hitting is on the table because he has already done the hard part, learn to hit from the left side as a right hander.  I am not one to underestimate Shohei Ohtani's ability to learn hitting right handed, especially when Ohtani is right handed.

He should pitch left handed until his right elbow is healed.