STREET. PETERSBURG, Florida — Los Angeles Angels Star Shohei Ohtani underwent elbow surgery on Tuesday and his doctor said he expects the two-way star to be available as a hitter on Opening Day of next season and return to the mound as a pitcher in 2025.
Ohtani tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow on August 23, ending his pitching season. He continued as a hitter until September 3 until he suffered an oblique strain.
Los Angeles Dodgers The team’s head physician, Dr. Neal ElAttrache, operated Tuesday at the Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles. ElAttrache performed Tommy John surgery on Ohtani on October 1, 2018. Neither Ohtani nor the team provided details about this surgery.
“I had a procedure on my elbow this morning and everything went very well,” Ohtani he said in a post on Instagram. “Thank you so much for everyone’s prayers and kind words. It was very unfortunate that I couldn’t finish the year on the field, but I will support the guys until the end. I will work as hard as I can and do my best to get back on the diamond stronger than ever.”
Nez Balelo, Ohtani’s agent, issued a statement released by the Angels. Balelo did not go into details about the type of surgery.
“The final decision and type of procedure was made with great emphasis on the big picture,” Balelo said. “Shohei wanted to make sure the direction he took gave him every opportunity to hit and pitch for many years to come.”
Ohtani, 29, leads the American League with 44 home runs and 96 RBIs, eight triples and 20 stolen bases. He went 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA in 23 starts, striking out 167 and walking 55 in 132 innings.
“The final plan after deliberating with Shohei was to repair the issue at hand and reinforce the healthy ligament in place while adding viable tissue for longevity of the elbow,” ElAttrache said in a statement released by the Angels. “I expect a full recovery and he will be ready to hit without restrictions on Opening Day 2024 and do both (hitting and pitching) in 2025.”
Ohtani is eligible for free agency after the World Series. Before the elbow injury, there was speculation that he would get a record contract of $500 million or more.