This is how hard it is to live in the real world as a manga character. Shohei Ohtani, 29, of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, is facing the prospect of having to give up his two-baseball career after injuring his elbow and then his side.
“Dr. Naotaka Mamizuka, a doctor at the Baseball & Sports Clinic, gave his opinion on Ohtani, who is reportedly facing the possibility of a second Tommy John surgery due to ligament damage in his right elbow,” Japan’s Tokyo Sports reported on May 5, introducing the views of a prominent expert who analyzed the condition of Ohtani’s elbow.온라인바카라
According to multiple U.S. media outlets, including MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, Ohtani’s agent, Nez Valero of CCA Sports, said, “Ohtani will most likely undergo Tommy John surgery at this time, but we are gathering various information on when and what treatment he will receive. It is possible that he will not have surgery. It’s very positive that he hasn’t injured the area where he had surgery in 2018.”
Ohtani injured his elbow while pitching against the Cincinnati Reds on March 24 and was forced to leave the game early after a medical examination revealed a right ulnar collateral ligament injury. He has been pitching and hitting exclusively since then.
The opinion of Japanese medical experts was the same as that of Otani’s agent. Mr. Mamizuka said, “Ohtani’s elbow injury is minor. It’s more like a cut than a tear. Therefore, it is difficult to decide what kind of treatment he will receive. However, it will not be easy to fix the damaged area with reinforcement exercises.”
If he were to undergo elbow surgery, it would be a different story. Ohtani, a two-hit wonder, could be forced to give up his Idoryu life for up to 2025. “If Ohtani undergoes a second Tommy John surgery after 2018 in October, he could return as early as the spring of 2024 as a hitter, but not as a pitcher until the 2025 season,” Mamizuka said.
Mamizuka sees Ohtani’s side injury as an even bigger setback. Ohtani was scheduled to start as the designated hitter against the Baltimore Orioles on May 5, but was pulled from the game after complaining of side pain during pregame batting practice.
“I’m worried about side injuries because many players take time to recover,” Mamizuka said.
It will be interesting to see how Ohtani, who hasn’t had a rough season since breaking into the big leagues in 2018, handles this ordeal. This is the first time he has injured his elbow and side, so it will be interesting to see how he decides to proceed with treatment. Regardless of what he chooses to do, it seems likely that his two-for-one career will be on hold for the time being.