Ohtani out 3 weeks with elbow sprain

MINNEAPOLIS — 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.

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.

“I’m just going to take every day as it comes and put him on this course of recovery and strengthening for the next three weeks and then deal with what we’ve got to deal with in three weeks’ time,” Eppler said.