Angels say Ohtani’s sprained pitching elbow will be healed by spring

The Cubs may have dodged a bullet when Japanese star Shohei Ohtani decided to sign with the Angels last week. It turns out the 23-year-old — called the “Babe Ruth of Japan” — might have come with more baggage than expected.

Ohtani has a damaged ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow, according to a physical obtained by Yahoo Sports. The physical also showed that he received a platelet-rich plasma shot in October to help treat elbow pain due to the low-level sprain.

The Angels knew Ohtani was recovering from a sprained elbow before they agreed to a minor league contract with him.

“I think that’s past him, and our understanding is there is no restrictions at all going into spring training, and he’ll get down there in plenty of time and be ready to go,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said Wednesday at the winter meetings.

Ohtani’s first-degree sprain is the least severe of UCL injuries, but it could lead to more serious problems in the future, according to Yahoo Sports. Further damage to the ligament could force Ohtani to undergo Tommy John surgery, which is a reconstructive surgery that typically requires a year to recover.

Ohtani, an unusual dual player as a right-handed pitcher and left handed power hitter, has a fastball that consistently touches 100 mph and a major-league quality split. He’s made it clear that when he’s not pitching, Ohtani wants to bat.

Manager Joe Maddon was more than willing to accommodate Ohtani’s request. And because of this, the Cubs were among the final seven teams in on the Ohtani sweepstakes.

The Cubs presentation was said to include a virtual-reality experience illustrating what life as a Cub might look like, but last week, Ohtani decided to sign with Angels.

The Cubs did not comment during the process or after its conclusion.

Ohtani agreed Friday to a minor league contract for a signing bonus of $2,315,000, according to details obtained by The Associated Press. That was the entire amount remaining in the Angels’ international bonus signing pool of $6.96 million for the signing period ending on June 15.

His bonus is due within 30 days of the agreement and is contingent upon Ohtani obtaining a U.S. work visa. Los Angeles also will pay a $20 million posting fee to the Nippon Ham Fighters of Japan’s Pacific League.

Contributing: Associated Press

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