Why Shohei Ohtani Needs to Take the Rest of the Season Off

Shohei Ohtani is once again having an MVP-caliber season. However, despite being a full-blown buyer at the deadline, the Angels are still way out of the playoff picture. Ohtani was recently diagnosed with a torn UCL. While Ohtani can still hit for right now, he won’t be able to pitch until 2025. He’ll more than likely need Tommy John surgery for the second time in his career.  I believe Ohtani has thrown his last pitch as a pitcher in the big leagues. Given where the Angels sit in the playoff race, I think it’s in his best interest to not play all for the rest of the year and begin to get healthy for 2024.

Another MVP Season

Shohei Ohtani was having a season that nobody in baseball has ever seen. At the plate, Ohtani was slashing .304/.405/.664 with an OPS of 1.069. He also was leading the league in home runs (44), triples (7), runs (97), slugging (.664), OPS (1.069), and walks (78). At one point in the season, people thought he’d make a run at Aaron Judge’s home run record. As a pitcher, he was having a solid year. Before his injury, Ohtani was 10-5 with an ERA of 3.14, 167 strikeouts, FIP of 4.05, and a WHIP of 1.061.

He Won’t Make Any More Money in Free Agency

There are many pitchers who have had Tommy John surgery and recovered and went on to have great careers. However, the list of pitchers who have had the surgery multiple times and had solid careers is even smaller. The odds are stacked against Ohtani to make a full recovery and return to ace-like form. Make no mistake, Ohtani is still going to command one of the biggest contracts in MLB history. However, given his injury history, teams aren’t going to want to pay him like he’s the greatest player ever. They’ll more than likely want to take the less risky route and pay him like a middle-of-the-lineup slugger. With teams probably more inclined to pay him like a slugger, there isn’t any more money for him to make in free agency.

The Angels Are Out of the Playoff Race

Lost in the Shohei Ohtani news was that the Angels’ other star Mike Trout was placed back on the injured list. There are rumors going around that he could be done for the season. This would leave Ohtani to shoulder the load mostly on his own. The Angles are currently 10.5 games out of a playoff spot and are also six games under .500. The odds are stacked against Anaheim to snag a wild card spot. This is more reason for Ohtani to end his season and start to get his arm rehab started.

It’s in His Best Interest to End His 2023 Season

While Ohtani has certainly given us a season to remember both as a hitter and pitcher, it would be a shame if it were cut short. However, baseball is a business, and owners and front offices will use anything against a player to pay them less money. Shohei Ohtani would only be risking further injury and potentially hurting his opportunity for bigger earnings. There’d be no shame in Ohtani deciding not to play the rest of the year, regular pitchers’ seasons are always instantly done whenever they tear their UCL. Ohtani shouldn’t be any different!

For more on baseball, check out Belly Up Sports and follow Eric on Twitter.