Angels’ Shohei Ohtani Limps Off With Apparent Leg Injury vs. Phillies

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The Los Angeles Angels appear to have been dealt a tough blow on Tuesday night.

Two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani suffered an apparent leg injury during the fifth inning of a matchup against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park while attempting to steal a base.

Ohtani tried to slide into third base and collided with Edmundo Sosa before limping off the field and into the clubhouse.

Ohtani has had a brilliant season for the Angels, but with how things have gone for the franchise of late, it might be time the club considers shutting him down for the year.

The Japanese phenom was announced to have a torn ulnar collateral ligament on Aug. 23, putting him on a path to a second Tommy John surgery, and a potential leg injury will only complicate matters.

Additionally, the Halos entered Tuesday’s game against the Phillies 11.5 games back of an American League wild card spot with a 63-69 record, and there’s a slim chance they’ll leapfrog the likes of the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees for a playoff berth.

Los Angeles also placed nearly a quarter of their roster on waivers on Tuesday, including starter Lucas Giolito, relievers Matt Moore, Reynaldo Lopez and Dominic Leone, and outfielders Hunter Renfroe and Randal Grichuk.

Ohtani is having another brilliant season for the Angels ahead of free agency this winter, slashing .304/.409/.663 with 44 home runs, 92 RBI and 19 stolen bases in 130 games. He’s also 10-5 on the mound with a 3.14 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 167 strikeouts in 132 innings across 23 starts.

Still, Ohtani alone won’t be able to save the Halos, and continuing to have him play with little chance to make the postseason doesn’t seem like it’s worth the risk.