Shohei Ohtani (29, Los Angeles Angels), who has continued to play through a torn ligament in his right elbow, is expected to be out for the season sooner rather than later. The question now is whether Ohtani will have surgery, and if so, when, or if he will try to find another way.
Bob Nightingale, a USA Today columnist and one of Major League Baseball’s leading sources, reported on Thursday that “people familiar with Ohtani’s situation believe he will have the season shut down within the next 10 days. Nightingale added that Ohtani is not ruling out elbow ligament reconstruction surgery (Tommy John surgery).
Ohtani, who made Major League Baseball history by becoming a full-fledged pitcher and hitter in 2021, was at the peak of his powers this year. If 2021 was a bit skewed toward hitters and 2022 toward pitchers, this year has been a breakout year for both. A second consensus Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in his career, after 2021, is still a lock.
But there were also some big ups and downs. On August 24, he started Game 1 of a doubleheader against Cincinnati, but was pulled early in the second inning after feeling something in his arm. Up until that point, he thought it was just “arm fatigue,” but a post-game examination revealed a torn elbow ligament. Considering that Ohtani is eligible for free agency after this season, it was a blow to both the team and the individual.
The Angels announced shortly after the game that “Ohtani will not be pitching for the remainder of the season”. Ohtani has been playing exclusively as a hitter since then. He finished the year with a 10-5 record, a 3.14 ERA, and 167 strikeouts in 132 innings pitched in 23 games.온라인카지노
The Angels’ chances of making the postseason are already slim. That’s why some people didn’t understand why Ohtani kept playing. Ohtani hasn’t spoken publicly about his future since the injury. The Angels’ philosophy is, “We’re going to play him until he says, ‘I’m done playing.'” In other words, if Ohtani says “I’m done,” the season will be over.
There are reasons for Ohtani to wrap up the season quickly. The MVP is a lock anyway. As a hitter, he’s batting .306 with 44 home runs, 95 RBIs, and a 1.071 OPS in 134 games through three days. If you do decide to have surgery, the sooner the better.
Of course, a second elbow surgery would make Ohtani the Pitcher disappear in 2024. However, if he has it done now, he could be back as a hitter in time for the start of next year. This is because the rehabilitation period usually takes four to six months. If he waits and has the surgery after the season ends, there’s no guarantee he’ll be ready for next year’s opener.
Some may argue that the ligament tear in his right elbow doesn”t affect Ohtani, who is a left-handed hitter. However, since his elbow injury, he hasn’t been hitting the ball as well. He’s also not hitting the ball well. This is evidence that the injury is affecting him. In the end, it’s in his personal interest to go under the knife sooner rather than later. On the other hand, it”s also a relief for the many teams that are waiting for him in free agency.
As Nightingale notes, “Major League teams now view Ohtani as an elite power hitter. It would be a bonus if he could return to pitching in 2025. Ohtani underwent elbow surgery in 2018 and returned to form as a hitter in 2019 and as a pitcher in 2021. Teams pursuing him in free agency will likely be watching this history closely.
The point is that it’s better to have a definitive surgery than a big free agent deal. Basically, if he doesn’t have the surgery, we won’t be seeing Otani the pitcher. Ohtani the hitter is a great player, but without Ohtani the pitcher, it will be difficult to sign a contract that will go down in major league history. It’s very likely that a prospective team would prefer a “Tommy John surgery” to fix the underlying problem once and for all, rather than multiple small surgeries.
Tommy John surgery has a long list of success stories. Ohtani has a history of overcoming it and becoming an MVP. So the math is easy. By having Tommy John surgery now, Ohtani could be back on the team in time for next year’s opening game. The roadmap is that he could spend the first year as a hitter, and the second year exploring the possibility of becoming a pitcher, where he could rekindle the final flame of his two-hit career. In free agency, bets on the likelihood of that roadmap will be lit.