In the last days, Ken Rosenthal tells us Shohei Ohtani hasn’t spoken to the media since his injury. For what?
Because normally, Ohtani is used to talking to the media following his starts on the mound… and whoever is not pitching this year hasn’t changed his habits.
But it is his right. A player may not speak to the media. Normally it goes badly, but Shohei can do whatever he wants.
One reason he hasn’t changed his ways is probably because he has nothing new to say. We do not know 100% if he has formalized the procedure for the rest of things.
And if he decided to have surgery, that doesn’t mean he wants to share it right away.
So here he is acting as the hitter of choice and he continues to solidify his title of MVP. Recently, he hit 20 stolen bases and 40 home runs, which is no small feat.
Remember that the elbow is special for a baseball player. If he’s stopping a pitcher from pitching, he’s not stopping a batter from hitting — and it shows.
And a player who has Tommy John surgery can come back and hit long before he throws. We saw it with Ohtani a few years ago or with Bryce Harper in 2022-2023.
All of this has to be taken into account when Ohtani decides whether to have surgery or not.
Note that according to many people, trying to avoid a Tommy John with “alternative” treatments never works and it only postpones the inevitable.
That’s why a lot of people think the Angels star should just quit playing and get surgery at the worst.
After all, Ohtani won’t boost his value by hitting a few more weeks because we know what he’s worth. He’s going to win MVP anyway and the Angels’ season is in the water.
Whether he has surgery there or in a month, he won’t start in 2024. That said, if he has surgery soon, he could start the season on time, if all goes well, like DH.
It would help compensate for his declining caster value. After all, two Tommy John-type surgeries sucks his man.
All that to say that obviously, the Ohtani clan might have decided to listen to reason and not finish the 2023 season at the end of September.
According to Bon Nightengale, who has heard from the player’s entourage, Ohtani could play another week before ending his season and going under the knife.
Why a week? Because looking at the Angels calendar, we realize that the club will spend the week at home. The Orioles and Guardians will be in town.
Thereafter, three of the four other series will be on the road. The club will end its season with six straight home games (including a game Sunday, October 1) against Texas and the A’s.
As we know that the Japanese could leave during the off-season, it would give him one last week in front of his supporters before seeing his life change.
There is a world, due to his injury, where Ohtani stays in town, but I don’t really believe it. After all, the organization is all crooked.
The story of the waiver probably displeased the Nippon. I can’t believe he liked what he saw.
I think it’s more possible to see Ohtani leave and Mike Trout decide, as a result, to reassess his future with the Los Angeles Angels.
