Associated Press2 minutes of reading
HOLY. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani underwent elbow surgery Tuesday, and his doctor said he expects the two-way star to be available as a pitcher on Opening Day 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 dough until September 3rd until the oblique tension.
Los Angeles Dodgers team manager Dr. Neal ElAttrache operated on 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 the surgery.
“I had elbow surgery this morning and everything went very well,” Ohtani he said in a post on Instagram. “Thank you all so much for your prayers and kind words. It was very unfortunate that I couldn’t finish the year on the field, but I will be rooting for the boys until the end. I will work as hard as I can and do my best to get back to diamond stronger than ever.”
Nez Balelo, Ohtani’s agent, released a statement released by the Angels. Balelo did not specify the type of surgery.
“The final decision and the type of procedure was made with a big focus on the big picture,” Balelo said. “Shohei wanted to make sure that the direction he chose would give him every opportunity to hit and pitch for many years to come.”
Ohtani, 29, leads the American League with 44 homers and has 96 RBI, 8 triples and 20 stolen bases. He was 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA in 23 starts, striking out 167 and walking 55 in 132 innings.
“The final plan after consultation with Shohei was to correct the problem and reinforce the healthy ligaments 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’ll be ready to hit without any restrictions on opening day in 2024 and both (hitting and pitching) coming in 2025.”
Ohtani is eligible for free agency after the World Series. Before the elbow injury, he was speculated to receive a record deal of $500 million or more.
