Last week, the Los Angeles Angels received devastating news when it was announced that two-way star Shohei Ohtani had suffered a torn UCL and would not pitch again for the remainder of the season.
More than likely, this will not only require a second Tommy John surgery for Ohtani, but will also hurt his market value in free agency this coming winter, meaning he will not receive the mega-deal he was expected to receive.
On the MLB podcast “Fair Territory,” Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic weighed in on the situation and revealed what the common consensus is on a pitcher who goes through multiple Tommy John surgeries.
Fair Territory!
*Questions on Ohtani
*AL West race – SEA, TEX, HOU
*Twins ready to win in October?
*NL MVP race
*Dude, dork
*Your questions
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Spotify: https://t.co/lsYWRJij48 pic.twitter.com/i8ZRUFE2FS— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) August 28, 2023
Ohtani had his first Tommy John surgery in October of 2018.
He did not pitch at all in 2019, but resumed hitting duties in May of that season.
However, Rosenthal revealed that the common consensus among doctors on Ohtani is that he should not try to come back as a hitter after he undergoes the surgery and should focus solely on recovering from the surgery.
This means that Ohtani would more than likely miss the entire 2024 season, even with the ability to potentially come back and resume hitting duties.
This obviously will complicate matters when free agency comes around this fall.
Ohtani was set to become the most sought after player on the market.
But with his injury, things are going to be much more complicated, and he may not receive the offers he was ultimately expected to get from teams inquiring about him.
NEXT: Shohei Ohtani Can Still Set A New Angels Record This Season
