Shohei Ohtani is unique in the history of Major League Baseball, a two-way Japanese superstar who can excel as a hitter and pitcher, sometimes in the same game.
But for the 2024 season, Ohtani will be just a hitter.
That’s because Ohtani is recovering from an elbow ligament injury – the ulnar collateral ligament – which often leads to a procedure colloquially known as Tommy John surgery. Ohtani was vague about the exact procedure he followed last September, but the Dodgers don’t expect him to pitch until 2025.
Shohei Ohtani impresses with his power during batting practiceTwitter
Typically, pitchers who undergo Tommy John surgery miss at least an entire calendar year. Most of the time is spent carefully rehabilitating the elbow so that it can handle the unusual torque needed to throw a baseball at over 90 miles per hour.
Hitters, including Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper, also occasionally tear their UCL and require Tommy John surgery, but their recovery is much quicker.
Ohtani, who signed a record 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers in December, could still make a huge impact in the batter’s box this year.
HOW DID OHTANI GET HURT?
Ohtani – who spent his first six seasons with the Angels of Los Angeles – abruptly left the pitcher’s plate in his second inning as a starter against the Cincinnati Reds on August 23, after throwing 26 pitches. Later that night, Angels general manager Perry Minasian confirmed that Ohtani had an injured elbow ligament and would not pitch again in 2023.
The two-time Most Valuable Player is no stranger to serious arm injuries. He underwent his first Tommy John surgery in 2018, following his stellar rookie season. That prevented him from pitching in 2019 and much of 2020 before returning to the mound full-time in 2021.
There have only been a handful of MLB players who have had Tommy John surgery twice and returned as effective pitchers.
WHAT CAN OHTANI DO THIS SEASON?
If his first spring training game is any indication, Ohtani’s hitting won’t be hindered by his recovery.
On Tuesday, Ohtani hit a two-run homer in his third performance at bat as the team’s designated hitter.
A torn ulnar collateral ligament is a serious injury for a pitcher or fielder because it affects the throwing of the baseball, but it is not as problematic for hitters.
Throwing a baseball places particular stress on the UCL as the arm rapidly rotates from external rotation to internal rotation. This is not a problem during the baseball swing, especially for players like Ohtani and Harper, who throw right-handed but bat left-handed. Their injured right arm leads the way when they swing, a movement that is less taxing on the elbow ligament.
Last season, Harper returned to the lineup as the designated hitter a little more than five months later Tommy Giovanni surgery, wearing a brace on his right elbow. Ohtani is about five months removed from elbow surgery he underwent in September.
WHY DID THE DODGERS STILL GIVE HIM $700 MILLION?
The Dodgers – and all 29 other MLB teams – knew about Ohtani’s elbow injury during his free agency. That didn’t stop Los Angeles from spending $700 million to add him to the roster.
Among the reasons: Ohtani should still be able to pitch again starting in 2025, theoretically giving the Dodgers a two-way player for nine of his 10 seasons under contract. But even if he doesn’t always pitch, his bat is among the best in the game. He had a .304 batting average, 44 home runs, 95 RBI and 20 stolen bases in 2023, which helped him earn his second MVP award.
If Ohtani eventually stops pitching, he will be athletic enough to play first base or even the outfield.
Ohtani is also unique in that he is a global phenomenon, with legions of fans around the world, particularly in his native Japan. His marketability rivals some of the world’s biggest sports stars, including soccer champions Lionel Messi E Cristiano Ronaldoalong with the NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
All those eyes on Ohtani means a lot of advertising and merchandising dollars for the Dodgers.
2024-02-29 19:41:51
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