Shohei Ohtani will not pitch again in 2023, but there is reason to question whether the Los Angeles Angels star will contribute much at all with the team rapidly falling out of contention.
Ohtani, however, has no intention of calling it a season early. According to Alden Gonzalez of ESPN, Ohtani is traveling with the Angels and plans to continue to hit in games while he determines his next course of action regarding his torn UCL.
It has not yet been decided if Ohtani will need surgery to repair the UCL tear. As long as he does not, there is nothing stopping him from continuing to hit. It is unclear when a decision will be made on whether Ohtani needs an operation or not.
It would be very easy for Ohtani to simply call it a season. He has little to gain from playing through injury, with the Angels entering play Thursday with a 61-67 record. Clearly, he wants to contribute as long as he is able and deserves some credit for that.
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