Angels say surgery talk for two-way star Ohtani premature
The Los Angeles Angels are still hoping they can get Shohei Ohtani back this year.
“We all feel the prognosis is good and hopefully in three or four weeks we can evaluate him and see where he can at least come back to hit, and what the prognosis is for when he can get back out there and pitch,” Manager Mike Scioscia said Monday.
After Monday’s widespread repeating of a Sunday night report that Ohtani would “probably” need Tommy John surgery, General Manager Billy Eppler said such news is premature.
Eppler said there has been no change in the diagnosis or the treatment plan for Ohtani since the team announced on Friday that he has a grade 2 sprain of his ulnar collateral ligament.
Ohtani underwent platelet-rich plasma and stem-cell injections, and the Angels are “hopeful,” Eppler said Friday, that those will be sufficient for Ohtani to avoid surgery. Scioscia said Ohtani has started undergoing therapy after a few days of rest.
Historically, many pitchers who have grade 2 sprains of their UCL do end up having Tommy John surgery, so it remains a possibility. But they aren’t there yet. And, if Ohtani does avoid surgery, it’s possible the Angels could get him back as a hitter sometime this season, even if he’s not able to pitch.
In the meantime, the Angels will fill the void in the rotation by bringing back Jaime Barría to start today. Barría had been on a shuttle between Triple-A and the majors, posting a 5-1 record with a 2.48 ERA in seven starts.
Cardinals’ Poncedeleon to debut year after brain injury
A little more than a year after a life-threatening brain injury, Daniel Poncedeleon is ready to make his major league debut.
The St. Louis Cardinals bought the 26-year-old right-hander’s contract from Triple-A Memphis on Monday before they opened a three-game series against the San Diego Padres in St. Louis.
“I was pretty speechless when I first heard about it,” Poncedeleon said. “I didn’t believe it. I thought (Memphis manager) Stubby (Clapp) was playing a little joke on me. I was called into the office and they told me. My wife (Jennifer) was waiting outside the door and the first person I called was my dad (Ramon Poncedeleon).”
Poncedeleon was 5-2 with a Pacific Coast League-leading 2.41 ERA in 12 games (11 starts) for Memphis this season, winning each of his last four decisions. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound California native is tied for second among PCL pitchers with his 71 strikeouts in 59 2/3 innings.
The promotion comes 13 months since a line drive struck Poncedeleon in the right temple, fracturing his skill during a game against the Iowa Cubs on May 9, 2017. Poncedeleon underwent an emergency craniotomy to fix an epidural hematoma, which is bleeding from his brain. He then went through weeks of rehab and endured three months of inactivity as he recovered.
When Poncedeleon returned to playing this spring, he wore a carbon fiber insert under his hat to prevent another injury. It’s a bit cumbersome but necessary.
“You get used to it,” he said.
Around the majors
• Mookie Betts and his big league-best .359 batting average are back with the Boston Red Sox, who activated the outfielder from the disabled list and put him in the leadoff spot against Baltimore. Betts missed 14 games with an abdominal strain. Boston went 8-6 in his absence.
• Orioles left-handed closer Zach Britton was activated from the disabled list, six months after undergoing surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon.
• The Brewers activated first baseman Eric Thames from the 10-day disabled list. Thames had been out since April 25 after tearing a ligament in his left thumb.