Alden Gonzalez, ESPN Staff WriterSep 16, 2023, 01:48 PM ET
CloseESPN baseball reporter. Covered the L.A. Rams for ESPN from 2016 to 2018 and the L.A. Angels for MLB.com from 2012 to 2016.
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Shohei Ohtani‘s attempts to return from an oblique injury officially came to an end Saturday, when the Los Angeles Angels announced he had been placed on the injured list and will miss the remainder of the season.
Ohtani, a near lock be named the American League MVP for the second time in three years, tweaked his right oblique during a rare session of outdoor batting practice Sept. 4 and proceeded to miss the next 11 games.
Now that he is done playing in 2023, Ohtani is expected to have surgery as soon as possible to address the torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow that ended his season as a pitcher near the end of August, sources told ESPN’s Buster Olney.
A free agent at season’s end, Ohtani was spotted leaving Angel Stadium by two eyewitnesses around 4 p.m. PT Friday. After the game, his locker had mostly been cleared out.
Angels general manager Perry Minasian is expected to address the media before his team’s 9 p.m. ET