Ohtani, after elbow surgery, says he still wants to work as a pitcher
Shohei Ohtani (29, LA Angels), a Japanese ‘baseball hero’ who doubles as a pitcher in the Major League Baseball (MLB) of the American professional baseball league, revealed the progress of his elbow surgery.
Ohtani posted on Instagram on the 20th (Korean time), “I underwent surgery safely early in the morning and completed it well. Although I unintentionally left the team during the season, I hope for victory in the remaining games. “I will do my best to return to the ground quickly,” he wrote. He then responded to fans’ concerns by saying, “Thank you to everyone who encouraged and prayed.”
Ohtani confirmed his elbow ligament damage after the second game of the major league doubleheader on the 24th of last month. Ohtani, who stepped on both the mound and the plate, had finished playing as a pitcher this season at that time. He attempted to play as a hitter for the remainder of the season, but suffered a side injury during batting training earlier this month, and was eventually placed on the injured list (IL) on the 17th.
Otani’s agent, Nezu Valero, announced his physical condition today. “The final decision and surgery were made within the big picture,” Valero said. He expressed Ohtani’s position by saying, “He wants to continue to work as a pitcher in the future.”
The doctor who performed Otani’s surgery was Dr. Neil Elatrace of the Callan Jobe Clinic. He was also in charge of Ohtani’s right elbow ligament reconstruction surgery (Tommy John surgery) in 2018.
Callan Jobe Clinic, famous as a sports medicine hospital, also performed surgeries on Ryu Hyun-jin (36, Toronto Blue Jays) and recently retired Cha Woo-chan (36).먹튀검증
Elatrace said in a statement, “After consulting with Ohtani, I underwent surgery to strengthen the ligament by transplanting viable tissue to extend the lifespan of my right elbow,” adding, “I expect him to play as a batter in the opening game next year and as a pitcher in 2025.” “He will also be able to return,” he said.
Ohtani’s contract with the Angels expires after this season. He became a free agent (FA) and was expected to be valued at more than 500 million dollars (about 665.2 billion won), the first in MLB history.
Before his injury, Ohtani appeared in a total of 23 games as a pitcher this season, recording 10 wins, 5 losses, 167 strikeouts, and an ERA of 3.14. In 135 games as a batter, he had a batting average of 0.304, 44 home runs, 95 RBI, 102 runs, 20 stolen bases, and an OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 1.066.