The tragic and devastating news caused the baseball community to curse aloud.

In a late-night Los Angeles Angels press conference, the greatest entertainment on earth was ruthlessly taken from us.

The sad news that Shohei Ohtani’s record two-way season is gone leaves us with no opportunity for one more celebration this season or one final applause to express our gratitude.

Ohtani won’t be able to throw again this year after giving his heart, soul, and now his arm to the Angels.

He learned on Wednesday that he has a torn UCL in his right elbow, which may necessitate Tommy John elbow surgery, ending his 2023 pitching season and maybe causing a major change in his career.

Ohtani, who becomes a free agent in ten weeks, just saw the disappearance into the night of potentially hundreds of millions of dollars.

Now that he is one of the game’s best hitters, the teams that formerly desired him as the greatest pitching/power punch in baseball history will be considering him as one of the sport’s finest pitchers, albeit they are unsure of whether he will also be dominant on the mound.

Ohtani was informed of the terrible news during Game 1 of the doubleheader. It was anticipated that Ohtani would command at least $500 million and become the highest-paid player in team sports history.

He could have informed the Angels that the season was over.

Put him on the injured list at the very least so he can rest.

He persisted in returning to the game, returned to the field for the second contest of the doubleheader, and lined up as a designated hitter as customary.

Unreal.

According to Perry Minasian, general manager of the Angels, “it is beyond impressive” that he played [the second game] to me.

This is the same player who homered in his first at-bat of the doubleheader, left the game in the second inning because his velocity had dropped, reported elbow pain to the Angels, underwent an MRI, was found to have a ruptured UCL, and then came back into the lineup without any apparent symptoms.

In the fifth inning of Game 2, he doubles, plays with Cincinnati Reds youngster Elly De La Cruz in a fun interaction, and then acts as though it’s just another beautiful day at the park.

It wasn’t until Minasian broke the bad news that Ohtani’s pitching season was gone after the doubleheader that he sat behind the dais.

Undoubtedly depressing news, Minasian stated. “I am really sorry for him. However, it is what it is. I have faith in him to make a comeback.

It’s unclear if Ohtani will require surgery. After having Tommy John elbow surgery in 2018, he didn’t have his breakthrough season on the mound until 2021, when he dazzled the world with his talent and became the undisputed AL MVP.

The second knockout blow was delivered by Minasian, who said that three-time MVP Mike Trout was going back on the injured list after only one game of recovery from his broken hamate bone. As Minasian’s first attack lingered in the air, Trout was announced to be returning to the disabled list.

To help them reach the postseason for the first time since 2014, they were all in just three weeks ago, choosing to keep Ohtani at the deadline and deal away their top prospects.