Shohei Ohtani suffered bigger injury in World Series than initially disclosed
March 20, 2024; Seoul, SOUTH KOREA; Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani reacts after playing against the San Diego Padres during a MLB regular season Seoul Series game at Gocheok Sky Dome. Photo Credit: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters via USA TODAY Sports
Shohei Ohtani really had to go through it to win his first World Series ring.
The Los Angeles Dodgers revealed on Tuesday that Ohtani underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on the left shoulder injury that he suffered during the World Series against the New York Yankees. The Dodgers also revealed the full extent of Ohtani’s injury — a labrum tear resulting from a shoulder dislocation.
Though the team did add that Ohtani is expected to be ready for spring training, that is a more significant injury than the Dodgers had initially disclosed. During the World Series, the Dodgers said that Ohtani’s injury was a “slight dislocation” of the shoulder.
The 30-year-old Ohtani was injured while sliding into second base during Game 2 of the World Series (video here). While he played in all of the next three games to close out the World Series, he had to wear a large brace and went just 1-for-11 (.091) with a walk and three strikeouts over those games.
The good news for Ohtani is that the injury was to his non-throwing arm. But he is still working his way back from a Sept. 2023 elbow surgery that kept him sidelined as a pitcher for 2024. Now Ohtani has another major surgical procedure to overcome.
