Shohei Ohtani was completely unfazed by the news that the Los Angeles Angels are recommending he undergo Tommy John surgery.
Ohtani had a monster game for the Angels on Wednesday night against the Texas Rangers. He went 4-for-4 with a walk, two homers, four runs scored and 3 RBIs while batting as the DH in the No. 3 spot. The four runs marked a career-high, while his four hits and two homers matched his career best previously set on Aug. 3 against Cleveland.
His first homer was a solo shot in the 5th:
A shredded elbow? No problem for Shohei Ohtani at the plate. #Angels pic.twitter.com/VKuE54uGT6
— Today in MLB (@TodayintheMLB) September 6, 2018
His second homer was a 2-run shot in the 8th that was clobbered:
OH. MY. TANI.
Shohei Ohtani simply can't be stopped! pic.twitter.com/lLkew7f5zg
— FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) September 6, 2018
The huge offensive game came hours after the Angels announced an MRI showed new damage to Ohtani’s UCL, leading them to recommend he undergo the surgery. As of Wednesday evening, Ohtani had not officially committed to undergoing the operation.
The surgery may not come as a surprise. Teams that tried to sign Ohtani over the offseason were aware that he had a partial tear in his UCL. However, the elbow injury that sidelined Ohtani as a pitcher for nearly three months this season came from a new UCL tear. There was even a report three months ago that he would need Tommy John surgery.
Ohtani can generate tremendous value for the Angels as a hitter, which he proved on Wednesday. The question remains whether he will be able to contribute as a hitter next season while recovering as a pitcher from the operation. The Angels plan to consult with doctors to learn the answer.
