After being diagnosed with a chronic elbow condition earlier this month, Los Angeles Angels rookie Shohei Ohtani has done everything he can to fight the diagnosis and stay in the lineup.
However, with MLB’s regular season coming to an end, so has the two-way player’s battle.
Ohtani has made his long-expected decision on getting an elbow ligament replacement and has elected to undergo Tommy John surgery next week in LA under the knife of Dr. Neal ElAttrache.
That likely means Ohtani won’t be able to pitch for the Angels in 2019, but will be able to get in the box and serve as the club’s designated hitter at some point early next season.
While he wouldn’t confirm Ohtani would be ready for Opening Day, Angels manager Mike Scioscia did say he thought his star player made the “proper decision” to have the surgery.
“It obviously puts him out of pitching in 2019, but he’ll be able to hit, and I think he’s at peace with that,” Scioscia said. “He wants to excel at both phases of the game. The fact he can’t pitch, there is a little bit of a void. But he’ll be able to hit and focus on that.”
Despite the injury, the Angels are committed to keeping Ohtani as a two-way player in MLB.
The 24-year-old end this year with a 4-2 record, 3.31 ERA, and 63 strikeouts in 10 starts. As a hitter, he is hitting .280 with 56 RBI and 21 home runs thus far.
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