MINNEAPOLIS _ The Angels' recent run of major injuries took a decidedly more notable turn Friday when the news involved Shohei Ohtani.
The pitcher/designated hitter has a second-degree sprain of the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow.
Ohtani received a platelet-rich plasma and stem cell injection Thursday from Dr. Steve Yoon in Los Angeles. He will be re-evaluated in three weeks and is expected to miss significant time.
It was revealed in December, immediately after Ohtani agreed to sign with the Angels, that he had a first-degree sprain of his right UCL.
A first-degree sprain is the least severe of UCL injuries. The second-degree diagnosis means the injury worsened as Ohtani was putting together an All-Star-caliber start to his big-league career.
Second-degree sprains vary in severity and so do their treatments, up to and including ligament replacement surgery.
Ohtani is 4-1 with a 3.10 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 49 1/3 innings over nine starts. As a batter, he's hitting .289 with six homers and 20 RBIs in 34 games.
He was removed from his most recent start Wednesday after four innings because of what the team announced was a blister issue, something that derailed Ohtani briefly in April.
Further testing Thursday led to the second-degree diagnosis. Ohtani was put on the disabled list. He did not travel with the team to Minnesota, where the Angels were starting a three-city, nine-game trip Friday.
Already this season, the Angels have lost starters JC Ramirez and Matt Shoemaker and relievers Keynan Middleton and Blake Parker to major arm injuries.
