The big Shohei Ohtani mystery got resolved Saturday afternoon, but all that did was raise more questions.
The baseball world buzzed Friday night after a report noted that Ohtani’s locker had been cleaned out, yet the Los Angeles Angels would not provide any information on the situation until Saturday.
An Angels statement cleared up the mystery, as the team announced he has been placed on the injured list with an oblique injury and will miss the rest of the season.
Yet that raises the obvious question: Has Ohtani played his final game with the Angels? He’s set to become a free agent after the season. While the torn UCL he recently suffered in his pitching arm has tempered predictions he’ll become MLB’s first $600 million man, he’s still in line for a huge payday.
Whether that’s with the Angels, the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants or elsewhere remains to be seen. Yet the sad, anticlimactic way his season ended seems like a bad way to go out with the Angels. The Angels’ reluctance to discuss the situation Friday led to speculation that there had been a split between the superstar and the team.
Baseball fans shared their thoughts on social media.
Should’ve happened a long time ago, no reason for him to play on a 4th place team
— Wise Guy (@YoYoBadabing) September 16, 2023
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.