Angels fans were riding a roller coast of emotions on Monday amid changing reports surrounding Shohei Ohtani’s status.
A reporter on Monday said that Tommy John surgery could be likely for Ohtani, who is on the disabled list with a sprained UCL. The UCL issue was known to teams before they bid on the Japanese star as an international free agent.
Angels GM Billy Eppler responded to the chatter and said that Tommy John surgery is not recommended for Ohtani at the moment. Now a report from MLB Network’s Jon Morosi says the Angels have cautious optimism that Ohtani will play again this season, possibly as both a hitter and pitcher.
Source: #Angels cautiously optimistic Shohei Ohtani will play again this season — at least as a hitter and possibly in both roles. @MLB @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) June 11, 2018
For the time being, Ohtani is expected to miss three weeks. And while Tommy John may still be a possibility down the road, it is somewhat comforting to know that the Angels are not going that far yet, and that he may return this season.
