Shohei Ohtani done for season, cleans out locker before Angels announce IL move

Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani missed his 11th straight game Friday and appeared ready to miss more, as his locker was cleared out once the game ended.

The next morning, the team announced Ohtani is on the 10-day injured list and will miss the rest of the season. Minasian is still expected to elaborate at some point as the Angels attempt to end a three-game skid against the Tigers at 9:07 p.m. ET.

Amid Ohtani's uncertain future in Los Angeles, reporters noticed the absence of his personal items following the Angels' 11-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers at home. Some of his things were even in the trash, according to the Los Angeles Times.

When addressed with questions about the 29-year-old’s status, Angels officials reportedly gathered for 30 minutes before telling the media that everyone, including general manager Perry Minasian, wanted to hold off on an update until Saturday.

Ohtani's pitching season ended Aug. 23 when he tore the UCL in his right elbow. He has been out of the lineup completely since Sept. 4 due to a sore oblique.

He becomes a free agent after the World Series. The Angels paid for reinforcements at the trade deadline in an effort to help Ohtani reach the postseason for the first time, and maybe even convince him to stay – to no avail.

Earlier this month, Ohtani's agent Nez Balelo said the Angels star would need a procedure at some pointbut didn't provide a timeline or any other details.

Putting Ohtani’s locker clean-out in the context of a potential upcoming surgery would make sense. But an announcement would have normally been made beforehand. Hence, the initial confusion.

What Balelo made clear is Ohtani plans to play next season.

"Shohei's gonna be in somebody's lineup next year DH-ing when the bell rings," Balelo said ... “There’s not one thing he can’t do right now when it comes to DH-ing. He can lift, he can run, he can slide, take violent swings. He can do anything he wants right now. It doesn’t affect the problem in question.”

Ohtani was in the clubhouse before Friday’s game and worked in the batting cage to determine if he could play, according to multiple reports. Now, it seems likely he has already played his final game in an Angels uniform.