Elbow issue sidelines Angels’ Ohtani
Shohei Ohtani was put on the disabled list by the Los Angeles Angels with a sprained ligament in his pitching elbow Friday, an ominous injury that will be re-evaluated in three weeks and brought the two-way Japanese sensation’s remarkable rookie season to at least a temporary halt.
The Angels said Ohtani’s right ulnar collateral ligament has a Grade 2 sprain, which typically indicates some degree of damage but not a complete tear. His injury doesn’t always require surgery, while Grade 3 sprains are usually repaired by the Tommy John ligament replacement procedure that takes a year or more to recover from.
Ohtani is 4-1 with a 3.10 ERA and also is batting .289 with six homers and 20 RBIs.
For all the benefits the Angels have reaped his nine turns on the mound and 30 starts as the designated hitter, the next feat for Ohtani will be to avoid Tommy John surgery.
“We’re hopeful that he can,” general manager Billy Eppler said, “that this is completely treatable with the biologic prescription that the doctors recommend.”
Ohtani, who will turn 24 next month, underwent injections of platelet-rich plasma and stem cells Thursday in Los Angeles. Eppler, speaking on a conference call with reporters before the Angels began a three-game series at Minnesota, said Ohtani won’t throw a ball again until his checkup in three weeks.
Padres pitcher suspended: San Diego pitcher Jose Torres has accepted a suspension without pay for the rest of the year by Major League Baseball after his December arrest on domestic violence charges.
Commissioner Rob Manfred said the penalty is retroactive to June 5 and covers 100 games. The suspension will cost the reliever $349,052 of his $550,200 salary.
Injury report: The Mets took two more hits to their pitching staff when closer Jeurys Familia was put on the disabled list because of a sore right shoulder and ace Noah Syndergaard was scratched from a weekend start against the Yankees because of a strained ligament in his right index finger . ... The Pirates placed right-hander Richard Rodriguez on the DL because of pain in his right shoulder . ... Seattle placed right-handers Juan Nicasio (knee) and Dan Altavilla (right forearm tightness) on the DL.