Tag: Los Angeles Angels

Shohei Ohtani’s time with the Angels might actually be over

Shohei Ohtani is officially done for the season. Could permanently leaving the Angels be next?

Shohei Ohtani might’ve just made his first unofficial step out of the Los Angeles Angels organization.

Shortly after news emerged that Ohtani had cleaned out his locker in Los Angeles, the organization announced that the two-way phenom would miss the remainder of the season with an oblique injury.

The Angels waving the white flag on 2023 season further hurts chances of retaining Shohei Ohtani

After sustaining a UCL injury that halted his ability to pitch this season, Ohtani will now be finished altogether for the rest of 2023 as the Angels prepare to miss the playoffs once again.

After an entire season’s worth of speculation, this really could be the beginning of the end for Ohtani’s time with the Angels.

Ohtani could very realistically choose to leave the Angels to join a different MLB franchise and possibly land the payday of a lifetime once 2024 free agency kicks into gear.

A possible Tommy John surgery to help Ohtani’s UCL injury could lessen a possible deal, but he’s the best player in baseball and will still most likely land a historic contract with a new team if he wants out of Los Angeles.

We’ll see what else the Angels have to say about Ohtani’s season ending and keep our eyes squarely focused on his prospects as a free agent.

MLB fans laughed at the Angels for using a Shohei Ohtani body double on team photo day

They could’ve just rescheduled!

Just when you thought the 2023 season couldn’t get any stranger for the Los Angeles Angels, they pulled off another bizarre stunt Tuesday.

You see, it was the team’s scheduled photo day. Such an event would necessitate having every member of the roster on hand and ready to smile (and pretend to be happy) together. But unfortunately, Shohei Ohtani — the face of the Angels and the face of baseball — wasn’t available for undisclosed reasons.

This did not stop the Angels. Rather than simply reschedule the photo day for another time like any rational-thinking professional sports team, The Athletic’s Sam Blum reports that L.A. found a body double to stand in for Ohtani. The team will then (likely) Photoshop his face in at a later date.

What are we doing here?

I have so many questions.

Did the Angels hold a wide casting call for 6-foot-4 Japanese men? Why was it so important to keep the photo day on schedule as to even require a body double? And who in their right mind thinks that presumable Photoshop will look good when Ohtani inevitably wears a Mets/Yankees/Dodgers uniform in the future?

At 10 games under .500 in September, the 2023 Angels season has been a comedy of errors. Ensuring “Ohtani” is part of their team photo with a body double might take the cake for the weirdest folly.

The Angels waving the white flag on 2023 season further hurts chances of retaining Shohei Ohtani

The Angels just waved the white flag on the 2023 season. That’s not good for them keeping Shohei Ohtani.

The Los Angeles Angels have officially waved the white flag on the 2023 MLB season, and that’s probably not great for superstar Shohei Ohtani’s future with the franchise.

On Tuesday, the team surprisingly placed pitchers Lucas Giolito, Matt Moore and Reynaldo López on waivers, as well as outfielders Hunter Renfroe and   Randal Grichuk.

With +100000 odds on FanDuel to win the World Series and +10000 odds to make the playoffs right now, the Angels’ postseason chances are basically nonexistent right now.

However, this is still a massive series of moves for the Angels to make, all at once signaling that they’re definitely closing things down for the season and giving MLB playoff contenders an opportunity to add serious talent to the roster in a very unlikely time of year.

The move also signals that Los Angeles not trading Ohtani at the MLB trade deadline and instead pushing in all the chips on a possible playoff appearance might come back to haunt them if Ohtani indeed walks this offseason.

It appears that the move is as much financially motivated as it is given the Angels’ poor record and longshot playoff chances.

This is clearly not ideal for the Angels, who added Giolito, López and Grichuk ahead of the deadline only to cut them a month or so later.

They’re now the second-worst team in the AL West, only in front of the lowly Oakland A’s. If July’s trade deadline was a chance for Los Angeles to show Ohtani that it’s serious about contending, it failed spectacularly.

It didn’t help Los Angeles that Ohtani tore his UCL and lost his ability to pitch for the remainder of the season, and that’s out of the franchise’s control.

However, everything leading up to Ohtani’s unfortunate injury is clearly on Los Angeles. The franchise failed to build a contender while they had Ohtani in his prime, and it’s a very real possibility that the sensational talent will be playing elsewhere this time next year.

Tuesday’s decision to effectively shrug off the season might be understandable when you consider where Los Angeles is right now.

However, the Angels’ decision to avoid trading the generational talent for a king’s ransom looms even larger now that the team’s last-minute 2023 playoff push has evaporated into thin air.

Ohtani’s time in an Angels uniform feels more tenuous than it ever has.

Shohei Ohtani may have known about his torn UCL while sharing a laugh with Elly De La Cruz

He wasn’t going to let the devastating injury ruin his night.

News that Shohei Ohtani had a torn UCL in his elbow rocked the baseball world early Thursday morning. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, it is unclear if Ohtani will need surgery, but he won’t pitch the rest of the 2023 season. It’s a development that could cost Ohtani millions as he prepares to hit free agency this offseason.

To many, because of his ability to mash dingers and pitch like an ace, the Los Angeles Angels superstar is the greatest player in MLB history. On top of that, he seems like a great person, making his injury all the more heartbreaking. And for fans of the game, Ohtani is just a flat-out treat to watch night in and night out.

Even for other fellow stars like Elly De La Cruz of the Cincinnati Reds.

After Ohtani recorded a hit with an off-balance swing Thursday, De La Cruz jokingly prodded him as if to check whether he was real. With Ohtani apparently already knowing about his injury, per Jeff Fletcher of the OC Register, the two superstars shared a laugh in a delightful moment courtesy of Bally Sports West that we can all appreciate:

Kudos to Ohtani for putting on a brave face and enjoying some levity with one of the game’s bright young faces. On what had to be one of the toughest nights of his career, this served as an excellent reminder about trying to have some fun regardless of a bad break.

Shohei Ohtani appeared quite emotional after the Angels lost in stunning fashion

Shohei Ohtani did not look too happy about the Angels losing on Thursday.

Los Angeles Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani might not have been too thrilled about his team’s difficult Thursday loss to the Seattle Mariners.

A camera showed what looked like Ohtani tearing up at the end of the game, and if that’s the case it’s hard to blame him with how things have gone for the Angels this season.

Los Angeles opted not to trade him at the deadline this season, but he’ll perhaps be the most sought-after free agent in MLB history if he really wants to find a new team.

If the Angels can’t make the postseason, it’s entirely possible these possible tears could be our first big hint that Ohtani will head elsewhere this offseason.

The Angels haven’t really done Ohtani any favors while he’s been there, and he’s the best player in the MLB operating in his absolute prime.

He more than deserves a chance to play for a team that can really give him a shot at a World Series, and it might not be Los Angeles that gets him there.

Former Vols’ pitcher earns win at Atlanta

Former Tennessee pitcher earns win versus the Braves.

The Los Angeles Angels defeated Atlanta, 4-1, on Monday at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia.

Former Tennessee pitcher Chase Silseth (3-1) earned a win for Los Angeles in the contest. He pitched 5.0 innings, totaling 63 pitches (41 strikes), while recording four strikeouts versus 17 batters.

Silseth (1-1) appeared in 18 games for the Vols in 2019.

He transferred to College of Southern Nevada in 2020. In an abbreviated 2020 season, the former Vol was 3-2 with a 2.10 ERA.

In 2021, Silseth pitched for Arizona and made one start in the College World Series.

Silseth made his Major League Baseball debut in May 2022 for the Angels.

He was selected by the Angels in the 11th round of the 2021 Major League Baseball draft.

PHOTOS: Tony Vitello through the years

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Ben Joyce transferred to longer stay on injured list

Former Vol pitcher Ben Joyce transferred to longer stay on injured list.

Los Angeles Angels’ pitcher Ben Joyce was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on Thursday due to ulnar neuritis.

Joyce (1-0) has appeared in five games in 2023 for the Angels. He has recorded five strikeouts, one hold and a 4.50 ERA in four innings this season.

The former Vol made his Major League Baseball debut on May 29.

Joyce played at Tennessee from 2021-22. He did not play in 2021 due to rehabbing from offseason surgery.

Joyce (2-1) appeared in 27 games and started one contest in 2022 for Tennessee. He totaled 53 strikeouts in 32.1 innings pitched during the 2022 campaign.

The former Vol was selected by the Angels in the third round of the 2022 Major League Baseball draft (No. 89 overall). He earned a bachelor’s degree in finance at Tennessee.

Joyce played at Walters State Community College from 2019-20 before transferring to Tennessee. He played at Farragut High School in Farragut, Tennessee.

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Alex Rodriguez had absolutely no idea the Angels can’t trade Shohei Ohtani for MLB draft picks

Alex Rodriguez is the latest person who didn’t realize MLB teams can’t trade draft picks.

Another prominent voice in sports has completely whiffed on realizing the MLB does not allow for the trade of draft picks, and who it is might surprise you.

New York Yankees great and sports broadcaster Alex Rodriguez recently shared on The Bret Boone Podcast that he feels that the Los Angeles Angels should “want to get a bunch of draft picks” for superstar Shohei Ohtani, per Awful Announcing.

That’s, y’know, not possible for the Angels or any team. You really can’t trade MLB draft picks; it’s not a running gag. It is literally impossible.

Rodriguez is the second major sports figure recently who didn’t realize in the moment that the MLB doesn’t trade draft picks, joining FOX Sports personality Colin Cowherd.

You can read Rodriguez’s faulty reasoning below.

“I think here’s the thought that I would think about, if I was the Angels, I would want to get a bunch of draft picks, I want to load up my farm system,” Rodriguez said on the podcast. “If I’m the Angels, I’m saying, okay, you’re gonna take Ohtani, but I also want to give you some of my bad contract. So, if I can unload a few, or one big one, and take that off the books, plus refurnish my minor league system, get some draft picks and get maybe a piece or two? Now you got something.”

How does Rodriguez not know this? He played professional baseball! Maybe it’s just a slip of the tongue, but this is a pretty thorough take!

The Angels have already decided not to trade Ohtani this season ahead of him becoming a free agent this offseason, and the team added pitcher Lucas Giolito from the Chicago White Sox this week to bulk up for the playoffs.

The idea of Los Angeles trading Ohtani is far from reality right now, and no amounts of nontradable draft picks will change that.

Shohei Ohtani immaculately painted the strike zone in first complete game shutout and MLB fans were in awe

Shohei Ohtani’s first complete game shutout was a beauty.

As many around the baseball world debate whether or not the Los Angeles Angels are making a mistake keeping Shohei Ohtani at the trade deadline, the superstar pitcher tossed his first-ever career complete game shutout.

Less than 24 hours after a report from Sports Illustrated went live saying the Angels plan to keep Ohtani and be buyers at the trade deadline, the 29-year-old went a full nine innings to help Los Angeles best the Detroit Tigers 6-0. In Thursday’s game — the first of a doubleheader — Ohtani allowed one hit and walked three batters, striking out eight while throwing 111 total pitches. It was a truly impressive performance from Ohtani, who masterfully painted the strike zone with ease en route to the victory.

And thanks to Pitching Ninja — Rob Friedman on Twitter — you can watch this minute-plus highlight package of Ohtani’s stunning complete game shutout!

Seriously, that was some beautiful stuff from Ohtani.

MLB fans were completely in awe of Ohtani’s spotless strike zone painting in his first-ever career complete game shutout.

Lucas Giolito trade grades: Who won the Angels and White Sox trade?

Who won this deal for one of the bigger names on the pitching market?

The Los Angeles Angels are putting their money where their mouth is.

Just after a report said that Shohei Ohtani was off the trade market, the Angels proved they were buyers as the MLB trade deadline approaches, making a deal with the Chicago White Sox for some pitching help.

Is it to prove to Ohtani that they’re serious and want to win now, so that he’ll feel differently about the organization? Perhaps. But this was also a smart move to, well, win now. And maybe they’re not done.

MORE: What all 30 teams should do at the MLB trade deadline; Buy, sell, hold

So let’s hand out some grades here: