Shohei Ohtani has agreed to undergo Tommy John surgery, the Los Angeles Angels announced on Tuesday.
The Angels said that Ohtani will undergo the operation during the first week of the offseason.
Update on Shohei Ohtani:
Shohei Ohtani will undergo UCL reconstruction surgery during the first week of the off-season. The procedure will be performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles. Additional information will be provided when appropriate.
— Angels (@Angels) September 25, 2018
Though the Angels publicly announced they were recommending the operation for the two-way star earlier this month, there had been no confirmation from Ohtani that he would undergo the surgery. Now we know he will and when he will.
Ohtani has been serving as a batter for the Angels this month despite his UCL injury. He is batting .280 with a .920 OPS in 307 at-bats. He has 20 doubles and has slugged 21 home runs, proving just how valuable he can be as a hitter. He also went 4-2 with a 3.31 ERA as a pitcher.
Ohtani came to MLB from Japan with a preexisting UCL injury, but that did not stop nearly every team in the league from courting him. His current UCL injury is actually a new one, and the surgery is expected to keep him out as a pitcher until the 2020 season, which is the last year the Angels have Mike Trout under contract. The good news is Ohtani should be able to serve as a DH next season while recovering from surgery.
