Shohei Ohtani's 2023 MLB season -- as both a hitter and a pitcher -- is over, and so might his Los Angeles Angels tenure.
The Angels placed the two-way superstar on the injured list Saturday with an oblique strain and announced he won't play again this season.
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Ohtani already had been shut down from pitching after sustaining a UCL tear in his right elbow in August.
The news of Ohtani being shut down for the rest of the season comes a little over 12 hours after he cleared out his locker in the clubhouse at Angels Stadium.
Angels general manager Perry Menasian is expected to speak with local reporters Saturday to address the Ohtani situation.
San Francisco Giants
Ohtani, who turns 30 next July, will become an MLB free agent after the conclusion of the World Series, and the Giants are expected to heavily pursue him.
But Ohtani now comes with a couple of question marks, related to the oblique injury and his ability to pitch in the future. He already underwent Tommy John surgery following the 2018 season and didn't pitch again until the 2020 season.
Whichever team signs Ohtani to possibly the most lucrative contract in MLB history will do so knowing that he won't pitch during the 2024 season.
The Giants, in desperate search of their next superstar, might be willing to take that gamble. But it's a massive risk.
Ohtani won the 2021 AL MVP, finished second to New York Yankees star Aaron Judge last year, and might reclaim the crown this season with arguably one of the best all-around years the sport has ever seen.
With two weeks still left in the season, Ohtani's American League-leading 44 homers might stand up, with Chicago's Luis Robert the next closest with 35. Ohtani also has 95 RBI and a 1.066 OPS, which trails only Corey Seager's 1.069 OPS.
On the mound this season, Ohtani started 23 games and racked up a 3.14 ERA with 167 strikeouts in 132 innings. Last season, he finished fourth in AL Cy Young voting thanks to a 2.33 ERA and 219 strikeouts in 166 innings.
Ohtani, who finishes the 2023 season with a remarkable 10.0 bWAR, is one of the most dynamic players the game has ever seen, and now he heads into an uncertain future with an unknown destination.
The Giants are hoping Ohtani finds his way to San Francisco this offseason to anchor the lineup and rotation for the rest of the decade.