David Chao, MD
2 min read • February 13, 2024
Posted in
Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani hit on the field after receiving clearance Monday, giving him a chance to be available when the team opens its season in Korea on March 20.
As our panel of doctors detailed in November, Ohtani will be available to serve as a designated hitter this season despite undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right elbow on Sept. 19.
He will not pitch until the 2025 season and has an uphill climb to be effective after his second Tommy John procedure since the start of 2018.
At the time of his surgery, Ohtani’s agent released a statement from Dr. Neal ElAttrache projecting a complete recovery by the 2024 opening day.
That timeline may be aggressive given the Dodgers’ opening game a full eight days ahead of other teams, but Ohtani should be ready for a return to the everyday lineup by early-to-mid April.
Ohtani’s exit velocity hit as high as 109 mph during the hitting session, which consisted of 21 swings.
The two-way Japanese phenom underwent the first Tommy John surgery of his career on Oct. 1, 2018. He ultimately returned to the lineup as a designated hitter for the Angels on May 7, 2019, seven months and six days after the procedure.
If he is able to play March 20, it will be six months and a day after surgery.
Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper is a recent example of a left-handed hitter who returned after undergoing Tommy John on his right elbow.
Harper underwent surgery on November 23, 2022 and returned as a designated hitter on May 2, 2023, which is five months and 9 days after the procedure.
He hit .293 with 21 home runs, and 72 RBIs in 126 games last season.
When Ohtani returned from his Tommy John procedure in 2019, he hit .286 with 18 home runs in 106 games.
Written by David Chao, MD
