Major League 'Superstar' Shohei Ohtani ended up on the operating table. It seems that it will take a lot of time to return to the mound.
According to multiple Japanese and U.S. media outlets, Ohtani's agent, "Nez Valero," reported on the 20th that Ohtani had surgery on his right elbow.
Ohtani suffered a serious injury in the first game of the doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds on the 24th of last month. At the time, Ohtani only threw one ⅓ inning, but he felt uncomfortable while pitching, so he voluntarily went down the mound. The Angels called Ohtani's replacement "an discomfort in his arm," but the injury was so serious that it exceeded expectations.
Ohtani voluntarily went down the mound and conducted an MRI examination, and was diagnosed with a ruptured ligament in his right elbow. After completing the doubleheader schedule, general manager Perry Minasian reported that Ohtani will no longer take the mound as a pitcher this season, along with his injury. However, he declined to say what kind of surgery he would undergo.
Despite a serious injury called a ruptured elbow ligament, Ohtani's baseball passion could not be dampened. Ohtani played as a batter in the second round of the doubleheader despite being aware of an elbow injury, and continued to play the season afterwards. Then a second injury broke out. He suffered a side injury while preparing for the next game after the Oakland Athletics match on the 4th.
Ohtani, who suffered a side injury, began to be excluded from the starting lineup on the 4th, and he was listed on the starting list ahead of his showdown with the Seattle Mariners, but his lineup was changed because he felt uncomfortable again. In the end, Ohtani organized all his luggage in the locker room, and the Angels eventually reported the news of "season out" along with Ohtani's registration on the injured list IL on the 17th.
While officially completing his entire schedule, Ohtani underwent surgery quickly. In the meantime, Ohtani has undergone in-depth discussions on how to operate as well as whether to operate, and the part of the ligament damaged this time was different from that damaged five years ago. However, according to Japan's Daily Sports, Ohtani's surgery was carried out with weight on the entire right elbow ligament.
Ohtani performed the surgery under the guidance of Dr. Neil Elatrache, an elbow and shoulder authority who recently performed Tommy John surgery for Ryu Hyun-jin's Toronto Blue Jays. Dr. Elatrache performed the surgery five years ago when Ohtani had his first Tommy John surgery. Daily Sports said, "The surgery was carried out with weight on the whole."
For now, Ohtani performed surgery with the intention of playing as a batter in the opening game of 2024 and the "Lee Do-ryu" performance in the 2025 season. The Angels revealed the details of Ohtani's surgery, saying, "In consultation with Ohtani, the final plan was to solve the problem, reinforce healthy ligaments, and add a viable tissue in consideration of elbow life."
"Daily Sports" explained, "Otani wanted a direction to play as a second-rate for the next few years." The Angels then predicted, "In anticipation of a full recovery, we will be able to hit the opening game in 2024 without any restrictions, and we will be able to do this in 2024." Considering that Bryce Harper Philadelphia Phillies, who underwent Tommy John surgery last year, returned to the ground after 160 days, Ohtani can enter the batter's box in the opening game of the 2024 season.
After the surgery, Ohtani said on social media, "I had surgery early this morning, and everything worked out well. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your prayers and consolation. I'm sorry I couldn't finish this year on the ground, but I'll cheer for you until the end. I will do my best and try to return to a stronger diamond than ever before, he said. "I left the team during the season, but I will do my best to come to the ground quickly." 스포츠토토
If much attention has been paid to Ohtani's surgery, now the Major League is expected to heat up with his destination and ransom. Why he will qualify as a free agent after this season. It remains to be seen whether Ohtani will be able to sign an unprecedented 500 million dollar, about 664.2 billion won, and how elbow surgery will affect the contract.