Word out is that
two-way player Shohei Ohtani of the Angels will need Tommy John surgery on his
injured right elbow if he wants to keep pitching. I feel bad for the player but not his team or
MLB.
The Angels knew
that Ohtani had an elbow problem when they signed him in the offseason. They gambled, and now they’re going to have
to decide—along with the injured player—what’s the next best course of
action. Does he get the surgery in order
to continue his quest to be the best two-way player since Babe Ruth? Does a team commit to a player who’s logged
all of 51.2 innings at the major-league level?
Can Ohtani continue to hit without surgery? Is a 24-year old who hit .287 in 251 at-bats
with 19 homeruns and 50 RBIs—the last homer and three RBIs courtesy of my
ever-generous White Sox—spend the rest of his career as a dh? Like I said, decisions will have to be made.
MLB may also
want to reconsider how it’s going to handle the next can’t-miss prospect who
comes along. Will he (I won’t hold my
breath for any team taking a chance on a she) be treated as the second coming
of a legend or a simply player to watch?
I’d say we’re all better off with the latter.
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