SportyTV | Angels officially shut down Ohtani for rest of MLB season

Shohei Ohtani won't play again in the 2023 MLB season.

This also means he may have played in his final game for the Los Angeles Angels.

The Angels placed the two-way superstar on the injured list Saturday with an oblique strain and said he'll miss the rest of the season.

Ohtani missed his 11th straight game Friday, and while he was at Angel Stadium before his team's game against the Detroit Tigers, his locker had been mostly emptied after the Angels' 11-2 loss.

Almost all of his personal items were removed and a bag that was fully packed sat on the floor in front of his stall.

The cleaned-out locker could signal that Ohtani's time with the Angels is over as the three-time All-Star will be the most coveted free agent in MLB this offseason.

Ohtani hasn't publicly made any comment about his future, but there is speculation he will sign with a new team after never reaching the playoffs during his first six MLB seasons with the Angels.

Ohtani had been shut down from pitching for the rest of this season because of a tear in his right elbow ligament, and his agent Nez Balelo had said he'll need surgery at some point.

He last served as a designated hitter September 3 after straining his obliques in batting practice, but the Angels had remained hopeful he could still return before the end of the season to hit.

Despite being slowed by injuries, Ohtani is still among the favourites to capture his second American League MVP award in three years.

As a pitcher, he went 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA with 167 strikeouts over 132 innings in 23 starts. At the plate, Ohtani still leads the AL with 44 homers while his 1.066 OPS ranks second in the majors behind the Texas Rangers' Corey Seager (1.069) - Ohtani's main competition for the AL MVP.