What would second Tommy John surgery mean for Ohtani?
It could be two years before Angels star takes the mound again
NEW YORK — If Shohei Ohtani has a second Tommy John surgery, it’s possible his recovery might be more difficult than the first — but not a given.
“My first one, my rehab was pretty tough and I never felt 100%,” Chicago Cubs pitcher Jameson Taillon said. “People would come up to me and ask me, ‘Hey, dude, what should I expect after getting Tommy John?’ I’d be like: To never feel good ever again.
“My second one was just like a new arm.”
Ohtani tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow while pitching against Cincinnati on Aug. 26. The unprecedented twoway star is continuing to bat as a designated hitter but won’t pitch again this year while considering his medical options.
Now 29, Ohtani had Tommy John surgery on Oct. 1, 2018, performed by Los Angeles Dodgers head team physician Neal ElAttrache. He returned to the Angels as a batter the following May 7 and to the mound on July 26, 2020, in a season delayed by COVID. He didn’t retire a batter in his return, got just five outs on Aug. 2 and left with a strained forearm that kept him from pitching until 2021.
Since then, he’s gone 34-16 with a 2.84 ERA in 74 starts.
Combine that with his offense the last three seasons — a .278 average, 124 homers, 290 RBIs and 56 stolen bases entering Friday mostly as a designated hitter — and expectations before the injury were that the 2021 AL MVP could command a record $500 million-plus contract as a free agent this offseason.
If Ohtani has the surgery, he wouldn’t pitch again until 2025 at the earliest. Recovery time for most pitchers ranges from 12 to 18 months, though positions players have returned quicker. Philadelphia’s Bryce Harper was back as a designated hitter in May, just 160 days after the operation.
The UCL connects the humerus bone to ulna bone at the elbow. Doctors prefer to replace the torn ligament with an almaris longus tendon from the forearm. If that isn’t available, a gracilus tendon removed from the knee is the No. 2 choice.
A second surgery often is more complicated than a first, with recovery time impacted by scar tissues and bone spurs. Pitchers often can resume throwing in week 17 following their first Tommy John. New York Mets medical director Dr. David Altchek said after a second TJ surgery, throwing might be delayed until week 21 or even 41.
“What I’ve seen is a big re-tear rate,” said Altchek, who twice operated on Taillon and estimates he has performed 1,800 Tommy John surgeries since 1993.