Two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani had surgery in order to address the UCL tear in his right elbow. The news was announced by Ohtani’s agent Nez Balelo.
Ohtani suffered the UCL tear in late August and was later ruled out as a pitcher for the remainder of the campaign. The 29-year-old player intended to postpone any procedure in order to finish the season as a hitter, but an oblique strain ended up putting an end to his campaign on the plate as well. This likely prompted Ohtani to have the surgery on his elbow sooner rather than later.
According to Balelo, Ohtani has every intention to return in time to play on the Opening Day of the 2024 MLB season as a designated hitter. He also plans to continue being a two-way player, eyeing a return to the mound in 2025.
It isn’t clear whether Ohtani will make his return to baseball with the Los Angeles Angels. He will become a free agent in the 2023 season and is expected to attract record-breaking offers from other teams.
Ohtani later confirmed the procedure himself via post on social media.
“I had a procedure done on my elbow earlier this morning, and everything went very well. Thank you very much for everyone’s prayers and kind words,” Ohtani wrote on Instagram. “It was very unfortunate that I couldn’t finish out the year on the field, but I will be rooting on the boys until the end.”
Before being shut for the season, Ohtani batted .304 with 44 home runs and 96 RBI. He had a 10-5 record as a pitcher with a 3.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts.
