David Chao, MD
2 min read • August 24, 2023
Posted in
Anaheim Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani will need to undergo Tommy John surgery if he wishes to pitch again, according to the Pro Baseball Docs, but recovery from a second elbow procedure is not as straightforward.
The two-way phenom exited the first game of Wednesday’s doubleheader after just 26 pitches and was later diagnosed with a tear in his ulnar collateral ligament.
He can continue to play as a hitter and was in the lineup for the second leg of Wednesday’s doubleheader.
Ohtani is hitting .304 with 44 home runs, 97 runs and 7 triples this season.
Ohtani will likely undergo surgery after the season and not pitch until the start of the 2025 season at the earliest, complicating his much-anticipated free agency decision.
The 29-year-old underwent his first Tommy John surgery in October 2018 and did not return to pitching full time until the start of the 2021 season.
He had missed his last two turns in the rotation because of what the team labeled “arm fatigue.” Ohtani threw a complete game one-hitter on July 27, then famously hit 2 home runs in the second leg of the doubleheader.
Since that game, Ohtani pitched 11.1 innings over his next three starts spread across nearly a month.
To add to the Angels' woes, Mike Trout was placed on the 10-day IL two days after he was activated from a long absence following his hamate bone procedure. The team is 61-67, currently 10.5 games back in the Wild Card race.
When he is ready to pitch again, Ohtani faces an uphill battle to be effective. Over 40 pitchers have undergone two Tommy John surgeries in their careers, but the list of pitchers who have returned effectively is relatively small.
Jacob deGrom and Dustin May underwent their second Tommy John procedures this season and will attempt to return in 2025.
The Texas Rangers’ flamethrower underwent his first Tommy John surgery in May 2007, then had his second elbow procedure in August 2016. After his second procedure, at age 26, Eovaldi has a 3.81 ERA in 113 starts over the past six seasons.
He has been an All-Star in 2021 and 2023, plus he has a 2.69 ERA with an 11-3 record this season.
The left-hander’s first TJ came in 2014 and his second was in August 2019.
Taillon had a 4.30 ERA in 29 starts in 2021, then a 3.91 in 32 starts in 2022.
This season, he has a 5.60 ERA in 23 starts with the Cubs.
Ryu, a lefty from South Korea who pitches for the Blue Jays, went 18 years between Tommy John surgeries. His second procedure was in June 2022 and he made his return to the mound on Aug. 1.
Thus far, Ryu is 2-1 with an 1.89 ERA in four starts this season.
Written by David Chao, MD
