Shohei Ohtani underwent surgery today to address the UCL tear in his right elbow, according to a statement released by his agent Nez Balalo. The specific type of the surgery (whether a Tommy John procedure or an internal brace) wasn’t specified by Balalo or Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who performed the procedure.
“The ultimate plan after deliberation with Shohei was to repair the ssue at hand and to reinforce the healthy ligament in place while adding viable tissue for the longevity of the elbow,” Dr. ElAttrache said in the statement. “I expect full recovery and he’ll be ready to hit without any restrictions come Opening Day of 2024 and do both (hit and pitch) come 2025.”
Ohtani himself also commented on the situation via his Instagram page, in a somewhat uncharacteristic move for a player known for his relative lack of public statements. Ohtani’s statement: “I had a procedure done on my elbow earlier this morning and everything went well. Thank you very much for everyone’s prayers and kind words. It was very unfortunate that I couldn’t finish out the year on the field, but I will be rooting on the boys until the end. I will work as hard as I can and do my best to come back on the diamond stronger than ever. Go Halos!!”
More to come….