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Angels’ Shohei Ohtani undergoes MRI, raising questions for pitching staff

By Kyle Franzoni |
Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
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Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani had another disaster of an outing on Sunday, one that ended with decreased velocity and another injury concern.

Shohei Ohtani‘s second pitching appearance of the season was started with the hopes of dispelling doubts over his control and velocity. It ended on the complete opposite end of the spectrum.

After surrendering five runs and failing to get an out in his season debut on the mound, Ohtani only had forward to go when he took the ball against the Astros on Sunday. He got a 1-2-3 first inning, including a strikeout of George Springer to start the game. His velocity was good as well, checking in as high as 95.8 in the inning.

Things quickly went off the rails from there.

Control and velocity both suffered when Ohtani came out for the second inning. He would get two outs in the frame but needed 48 pitches to do so before the Angels’ lifted him for a reliever. He reached a peak of 97.1 MPH in the inning, but his last three fastballs dipped considerably, dropping into the high-80s.

For a pitcher a year-plus removed from Tommy John surgery, the big drop in velocity is a huge red flag. After Ohtani expressed discomfort in his elbow, the team opted to also send him for an MRI.

As seen in the video below (h/t Jeff Fletcher, Orange County Register), Ohtani appeared to finish awkwardly and grab at the elbow after his fastest pitch of the day.

While the Angels and their fans anxiously await the results of the MRI, Ohtani’s puts an already underperforming pitching staff in a tight bind. In his two starts, the Angels have had to use the bullpen for a combined 18.1 innings. But outside of the bullpen, any missed starts will also change things up again in the team’s rotation.

Patrick Sandoval, Los Angeles Angels (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Patrick Sandoval, Los Angeles Angels (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

Shohei Ohtani injury: Who will take his spot in the Angels’ rotation?

With Ohtani currently held to only Sunday starts, thanks to his status as a two-way player, the Angels have some time to figure things out. The team also gets to enjoy its first off-day of the season on Monday, allowing Joe Maddon and his coaches to get the results of the MRI back before making any determination.

However, even if the MRI comes back negative, the Angels will likely be cautious with their star. Given his somewhat recent surgery and the discomfort coming from his surgically repaired elbow, the team could shut down Ohtani for at least one start. This will allow him to throw a supervised bullpen, not only to potentially see how he feels but to also work through some mechanical issues.

So what options do the Angels have if he misses his next start?

Angels could return to a five-man rotation

Currently, the Halos have a six-man rotation, but that was mostly in place to accommodate the team’s desire to limit Ohtani’s pitching appearances to once weekly. That was a plan the previous regime used with the right-hander, but Maddon chose to adopt and hopefully keep him healthy.

If Ohtani were to miss any time, the Angels could opt to move their rotation back to a five-man group, with Andrew Heaney, Dylan Bundy, Griffin Canning, and Matt Andriese already in the mix. Julio Teheran is set to rejoin the team at some point this week.

While that plan has some merit, it could be both beneficial and detrimental for the same reason.

Until Griffin Canning went six innings on Saturday against the Astros, Dylan Bundy (twice) had been the only Angels starter to make it throw six innings on the season. That has created a lot of long bullpen games.

While Joe Maddon has thus far wanted to ease his starters back into pitching regularly, perhaps getting them on a five-day schedule would help increase their durability. On the other hand, if they are already having difficulty with their innings now, reducing their rest between outings could also lead to further issues, depending on how each pitcher responds.

Which leads to our other option.

Angels could add Patrick Sandoval back to the rotation

With the scheduled off-day on Monday, the Angels previously optioned Patrick Sandoval back to the minor league camp. This was done to make sure he got work in when he would otherwise be skipped in the rotation.

With the lefty coming off of a shortened summer camp, Sandoval made only one appearance before the season started. He would make his first start against the Mariners on July 28th and the results were solid. However, he lasted just four innings, giving up two runs (1 earned) and striking out four.

Like the rest of the Angels starters, Sandoval comes with his own endurance concerns after his abbreviated camp. However, if the Angels are intent on keeping the six-man rotation in place while they await Ohtani’s return, bringing Sandoval back into the fold has more appeal than another bullpen game.

That brings us to the final question.

Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

Should the Angels limit Shohei Ohtani to just hitting?

While there is certainly value to having a locked-in, top of the rotation arm like Shohei Ohtani showed during his rookie campaign in 2018. For a team without a front-line starter, the promise of Ohtani’s return was incalculable entering the season.

However, the reality of what Ohtani has looked like on the mound, both in summer camp and now through two starts, questions what is the smarter thing to do. Do the Angels continue to try and develop him as a two-way star or do they start to look at him as a hitter only?

On the two-way side of the coin, it is hard to argue with the potential on the mound. We even caught glimpses of that during the first inning on Sunday. However, as someone who has already undergone Tommy John surgery and is again experiencing discomfort in the joint, the risk may outweigh the reward.

As a hitter, Ohtani has shown again his power potential and looked to be ready to click at the plate. However, his forced off-days before and after his turn in the rotation limits his ability to develop consistency and removes that threat from the line-up twice a week. Coupled with the potential of injury that could remove him hitting for a more considerable amount of time.

The Angels simply need to ask themselves where Ohtani presents the most value to the team. Given the hesitation of the team in him making 30 starts over a full season, his value as a pitcher will always be limited.

The choice is a great problem to have for the Angels, but it is a choice they will have to make eventually for both the club and Ohtani.

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