Major League Baseball

Shohei Ohtani's UCL tear casts a tragic pall on MLB's best story

Updated Aug. 24, 2023 12:51 p.m. ET

You can't really get into all the other stuff without addressing the sadness. Yes, Shohei Ohtani's elbow injury has all kinds of ramifications, from financials to his destination and legacy, but I'll let those breathe a little.

Because, for now, everyone's just kind of glum, and that's OK. Truth be told, it's basically unavoidable.

The most transcendent baseball player of recent times got lifted from a start on Wednesday with what was initially described as arm fatigue. We'd had and heard that specific reason before, so it was a situation to monitor, but perhaps not a major one.

It soon would be.

By the end of the Los Angeles Angels' doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds, the Japanese pitching/hitting/mind-blowing sensation had been diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament, confirming the excruciating truth that baseball is less kind to the elbow than any other body part and that everything had suddenly changed, in an instant.

It was thoroughly miserable news. The reality that the Angels can't string together a winning season — no matter what — prevails without faltering and that is its own tale. But Ohtani had become baseball's happy place, as those who love matters of the diamond got used to the fact that yes, we were seeing history unfurl before us. And no, this wasn't a dream that we'd soon be stirred from.

Not only that, he'd become, and remains, the biggest story of the season, with thoughts on where he might go and what he might do in free agency overshadowing pennant races and World Series chances and teams that, you know, actually win quite a lot.

Ohtani began Wednesday by striking out two in the first inning against the Reds and then stepped up to smack his baseball-leading 44th home run of the campaign. So far, so Shotime. And then that was it.

After consulting with manager Phil Nevin and a trainer, he stepped swiftly from the mound to the dugout, face etched with worry, and baseball worried along with him. He would hit in the second part of the doubleheader, going 1-for-5, but as details of his elbow malady emerged he looked about as pleased as you might expect with how his day had gone.

For the past months, when the baseball world thought of Ohtani, it enjoyed thinking about history, about Babe Ruth and how this was the modern version of it, about impossible things becoming not only plausible but present on a daily basis.

Shohei Ohtani out for Angels season with UCL tear

Now the associated language is of dismal things, of Tommy John and rehab and the potential for decline — and the question that has to be asked about if his workload was managed in the right way.

This isn't particularly a time for answers because it is unlikely that even Ohtani himself, or his doctors, or the Angels, or the endless list of general managers who would love to take a winter run at him, knows precisely how this will shake out.

The announcement went no further than to say he won't pitch again this season, leaving the chance of him continuing to chase a mighty home run tally. His current rate sees him on course for 59 dingers, and Aaron Judge's newly minted mark of 62 remains an outside shot.

There are other considerations, though. If surgery is required, sooner would clearly be better. As FOX Sports' Ben Verlander pointed out, there is nothing more owed to the Angels, not after his all-around excellence resulted in nothing more than a 61-67 record, good for only fourth in the AL West, with a 5-16 clip since the trade deadline.

[Everything you need to know about Shohei Ohtani's UCL tear, what's next, free-agency impact]

The Angels are now on course to miss the postseason yet again and are headed for an eighth straight year of below .500 baseball, all of which have also come with Mike Trout in Anaheim.

Money is a big part of the Ohtani narrative, too, but in a slightly different way than how we usually view injuries impacting cash considerations. When the potential for Ohtani to land a deal worth as much as $600 million arose the first thing to spring to mind was how could someone be in line to get paid that much – yet still somehow be underpaid?

A lights-out All-Star level pitcher, plus a middle-of-the-order superstar who thwacks .304 with enormous power, plus a must-see, show-stopping, butts-in-seats-guaranteed-stadium-filler (if promoted correctly)? The dude is three superstars in one.

Part of the anticipation of the free-agency frenzy was the gnawing sense that at least one GM would look at his talents and give a "to the moon" analysis of what the franchise should offer.

Even with this, someone is still going to pay big, though the $600 million talk will probably lose some sting.

Teams are still going to chase him with unprecedented fervor, and a twist in all this is no one knows exactly what Ohtani wants from a new club, except that he craves winning. Given that the basic act of adding Ohtani to any squad figures to greatly increase that likelihood — unless you're the Angels, I guess — the options are myriad.

It is hard to imagine Ohtani pitching in 2024, which in itself will make that a season that loses a little of its sheen, and will cause some pause for thought.

Location-wise, finance-wise and ambition-wise, the Los Angeles Dodgers would seem to be in pole position, but if it wasn't locked before it sure as heck isn't now.

Let's look for some positives. Surgery, even to the ulnar collateral ligament, doesn't mean what it used to. Pitchers can, have, will and do come back from it and some of them have enjoyed fine results even after going under the knife a second time. If so, perhaps this just goes down as a reminder that sports in unpredictable and greatness should be enjoyed in the moment, because anything can happen.

Does that help? Feel any better? Didn't think so.

Martin Rogers is a columnist for FOX Sports and the author of the FOX Sports Insider newsletter. Follow him on Twitter @MRogersFOX and subscribe to the daily newsletter.

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