Los Angeles Angels' Shohei Ohtani tears UCL, won't pitch again this season

Aug. 24 (UPI) -- Los Angeles Angels pitcher/slugger Shohei Ohtani tore a ligament in his right elbow and won't throw from the mound again this season, general manager Perry Minasian told reporters.

Ohtani started the first game of a doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday in Anaheim, Calif. He left the mound in the middle of the second inning.

"Obviously Shohei, he left the game," Minasian told reporters in a postgame news conference. "We did imaging between games. He does have a tear.

"He won't pitch the rest of the year. We are going to get a second opinion and go from there, but it's obviously day-to-day. As far as plans and details, I don't have those yet."

Ohtani hit his 44th home run of the season in the first inning of the 9-4 loss. He went on to play, as a designated hitter, in the second game of the doubleheader. He went 1 for 5 with a double and a run scored in that 7-3 loss to the Reds.

"He played with this in 2018, but with that being said, we will take it day-by-day and see where it goes," Minasian said. "Obviously, it's disappointing news. I felt terrible for him, but it is what it is. If anybody can bounce back, it's him."

Ohtani leads MLB with 44 home runs. He hit .304 and drove in 91 runs through 126 games this season. As a pitcher, the three-time All-Star and 2021 American League MVP leads MLB with a .184 batting average against. He is 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA over his 23 starts. Ohtani's 167 strikeouts rank No. 5 in the American League.

The Angels star signed a 1-year, $30 million contract in October, avoiding arbitration. He is set to become an unrestricted free agent this off-season.

Minasian told reporters Wednesday that he was in contact with Ohtani's representatives in regards to his injury.

The Angeles general manager also said star outfielder Mike Trout will return to the injured list. Trout returned from the injured list Tuesday after he missed 38 games because of a broken bone in his left hand.

"He tried to swing [Tuesday] and it didn't go well," Minasian said. "So we are going to put him back on the injured list, give him some rest and see how that goes."

The three-time MVP and 11-time All-Star hit .263 with 18 home runs and 44 RBIs through 82 games this season. Trout, who is under contract through 2030, is due more than $37.1 million in annual salary through the remainder of that deal.

The Angels (61-67) were eight games over .500 and in second place in the American League West in June. They started August on a seven-game losing streak and are now in fourth, 12 games behind the division-leading Texas Rangers (72-54).