Shohei Ohtani done pitching for season, Mike Trout potentially finished for 2023: Angels' playoff odds now nonexistent

The Angels franchise has had a lot of misfortune over the years and still has just one World Series title, but Wednesday might have taken the proverbial cake in terms of the worst single day in the regular season. Not only did the Halos get swept at home in a doubleheader by Cincinnati, with L.A. at least a -150 favorite in each game, but Shohei Ohtani suffered a UCL injury on the mound and is done pitching for this year. Former AL MVP Mike Trout didn't play in either game. He's headed back to the injured list and might be done for the year too.

DraftKings no longer has odds for the Angels to make the postseason with the team at 61-67 and 10.5 games back of the final wild card spot. A four-game losing streak, all at home, has ended any shot – meaning the franchise's playoff drought will reach nine straight seasons. FanGraphs gives Los Angeles a 0.1% chance of making the playoffs.

Ohtani had been pulled from a few recent pitching starts early due to cramps and the like but still had been throwing very well. He was pulled after 1.1 innings in Game 1 against the Reds on Wednesday, which L.A. ended up losing 9-4. The Angels said he had arm fatigue but hours later, GM Perry Minasian told reporters that Ohtani has a tear in his UCL and will not pitch again this year. He finishes at 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA, 1.06 WHIP (fifth in MLB) and 167 strikeouts in 23 starts. Batters hit just  .184 against Ohtani, the lowest rate in the majors for any starter. At BetMGM, 11.7% of bets (most) were on Ohtani to win the AL Cy Young.  

"He has a tear, and he won't pitch the rest of the year," Minasian said. "We're going to get a second opinion, go from there, but it's basically day to day. ... He's played with this in '18 (had Tommy John surgery after the season), but with that being said, we'll take it day by day and see where it goes. ... If anybody can bounce back, it's him."

Ohtani had been a long shot to win the AL Cy Young but is now off the board. AL MVP odds are currently down as well, but he'll still be heavily favored. Ohtani did also leave Game 1 from his DH spot but not before hitting his MLB-leading 44th homer. He was back in there at DH for the full Game 2 and was 1-for-5 with a double. On the year, Ohtani is batting .304 (career high) with 44 homers and 91 RBI.

Needless to say, Ohtani may have pitched for the Angels for the last time with free agency on deck. Does the UCL change his free agent plans? Perhaps it does if it requires surgery. Ohtani knows the Angels' medical staff; he obviously doesn't on any other teams. With L.A. clearly going to miss the playoffs again, might owner Arte Moreno put the team back up for sale? This could have a massive domino effect. 

Trout was activated off the injured list Tuesday from his wrist injury and went 1-for-4 but didn't play in either game Wednesday with soreness in that wrist and has been placed back on the IL. The Angels have little reason to play him again this season. Trout will play fewer than 135 regular-season games for a fifth straight year. Ohtani and Trout are the players in Wild Card era (since 1994) with more MVPs (four so far) than playoff trips (one). 

The Angels open a series vs. another hugely disappointing team – and one that surely will bid big on Ohtani – in the New York Mets on Friday in Queens. I'd expect some "Come to New York" chants for Ohtani, similar to what he got in Seattle at the All-Star Game. 

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