Shohei Ohtani had a monster game at the plate on Wednesday even after learning he will need to undergo Tommy John surgery, and the Los Angeles Angels are hopeful that will continue even after Ohtani has the elbow procedure.
Four doctors who have experience repairing torn UCLs told Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports that they believe Ohtani will be able to serve as a full-time designated hitter in 2019 if he doesn’t experience any complications. The surgeons outlined some details of the surgery and recovery process, with one saying he believes Ohtani will be able to resume batting practice three months after the procedure.
As one doctor told Passan, the fact that Ohtani bats left-handed and throws right-handed further improves his chances of not missing any time as a hitter in 2019. Here’s more:
Batting in and of itself, according to another surgeon, is not considered perilous for a UCL; Major League Baseball’s injury-tracking database, according to a source, shows only one case in which a hitter was believed to have blown out his elbow while swinging a bat.
Even better for Ohtani, a third doctor said, is his handedness. The elbow ligament that is stressed most during the swing, he said, is on the trail, or back, arm.
If you want to know how bothered Ohtani was by the news that he needs Tommy John surgery, just look at some of the monster home runs he crushed on Wednesday. The Angels are obviously going to be as cautious as possible with the 24-year-old, but it will be a major plus if there’s no additional risk in having him bat next season.
