Shohei Ohtani is dealing with another UCL tear, according to a report.
Ohtani has been on the disabled list since June 7 with a Grade 2 UCL sprain in his elbow. When Ohtani first became an international free agent during the offseason, the medical information shared with clubs showed that he had a Grade 1 UCL tear. It was considered a small tear at the time and did not dissuade nearly all teams from attempting to sign him.
On Saturday, Fan Rag Sports’ Jon Heyman reported that the Grade 2 sprain is a different tear. It’s unclear how that affects his health or recovery.
There is speculation that the Japanese pitcher may need Tommy John surgery eventually, but the operation has not yet been recommended by the medical team he is seeing. A report during the week said that the Los Angeles Angels had some optimism that Ohtani might be able to return this season.
Not only do the Angels lose Ohtani’s pitching when he’s on the DL, but they also miss his bat as an occasional DH. He’s 4-1 with a 3.10 ERA as a pitcher, and he’s batting .289 with a .907 OPS as a hitter.
