Recovery from surgery won't affect Ohtani at plate
Shohei Ohtani is unique in Major League Baseball history, a two-way Japanese superstar who can excel as a hitter and a pitcher, sometimes in the same game.
But for the 2024 season, Ohtani will be just a hitter.
That's because Ohtani is recovering from an injured elbow ligament — the ulnar collateral ligament — that often leads to a procedure colloquially known as Tommy John surgery. Ohtani has been vague about the exact procedure he had in September, but the Los Angeles Dodgers do not expect him to pitch until 2025.
Typically, pitchers who have Tommy John surgery miss at least a full calendar year. Most of that time is spent carefully rehabbing the elbow.
Hitters, including Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper, also occasionally tear their UCLs and require Tommy John surgery, but their recovery is much quicker.
Ohtani, who signed a record US$700-million, 10-year deal with the Dodgers in December, could still have a huge impact in the batters' box this year.
If his first spring training game is any indication, Ohtani's hitting won't be hampered by his recovery.
Ohtani smacked a two-run homer in his third exhibition at-bat.
A torn ulnar collateral ligament is a serious injury for a pitcher or fielder because it affects throwing a baseball, but it's not quite as problematic for hitters.
Throwing a baseball puts particular stress on the UCL as the arm rapidly pivots from being externally rotated to internally rotated.
That's not a concern during the baseball swing — especially for players like Ohtani and Harper, who throw right-handed but bat left-handed. Their injured right arms lead the way when they swing, a less taxing motion for the elbow ligament.
But even if he can't pitch, his bat is among the game's best. He had a .304 batting average, 44 home runs, 95 RBIs and 20 stolen bases in 2023.