2024 hitter – 2025 ‘play as a pitcher and a batter’ Ohtani is likely to be MVP after surgery

LA Angels Shohei Ohtani eventually underwent elbow surgery. He said, “It ended well.” The concern about him in the future will be which team he signs a free agent contract with and under what conditions.

On the 20th (Korean time), Ohtani announced the news of his surgery through his SNS, saying, “I had elbow surgery in the morning, and everything went well.” He also said, “I am truly grateful for all the kindness and kind words,” and added to his Angels colleagues and fans, “I am very disappointed that I cannot finish the year on the field, but I will support you until the end.”

Ohtani ended this season. Although he still had remaining games left, he was no longer able to take the mound as a pitcher due to elbow pain, and due to an injury to his right side, he was unable to even stand at bat.

Ohtani, who was diagnosed with a collateral ligament injury on the medial side of his right elbow on the 24th of last month, gave up his role as a pitcher and appeared only as a hitter. Afterwards, he suffered an injury to his right side while practicing batting before the game against Baltimore on the 5th. Because of this, he missed 11 consecutive games until Detroit on the 16th.

I quit the season as a pitcher first, and tried to stand at bat, but it wasn’t easy. Finally, on the 17th, the Angels team officially announced, “Shohei Ohtani has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to pain in his right side. He will miss the rest of the games this season.”

Although he did not complete the season, he still has a chance to become the American League home run champion. He is currently second on the list with 37 home runs, behind Luis Robert of the Chicago White Sox. He can also be the American League MVP.

Japanese media ‘Higashis for Web’ said, “It seemed like he was aiming to return after a side injury, but he ended up being placed on the injured list after missing 11 consecutive games. I also finished organizing my locker. However, this does not mean that his performance this season is fading.”

Before suffering a right elbow ligament injury, Ohtani appeared in 23 games as a pitcher this year, recording 10 wins, 5 losses, and an ERA of 3.14. He appeared in 135 games as a hitter and had a batting average of .304 (151 hits in 497 at-bats), 44 home runs, 95 RBIs, and 102 runs scored. He set a record of being the first player in Major League history to win 10 times and have 40 home runs. He is viewed as the strongest MVP candidate.

As much as Ohtani’s season performance, his next move is also of great interest. It is likely that he will leave the Angels as a free agent after this season. There are several candidate teams. So how much will he get paid and which team will he go to?

There is talk of up to 600 million dollars (about 790 billion won) over 10 years. Dr. Neil Elatrace, who performed Ohtani’s elbow surgery, allayed concerns about whether it was worth it for a player who went on surgery this year.

Dr. Elatrace performed Otani’s first elbow ligament joint surgery (Tommy John surgery) in October 2018. After Ohtani’s surgery, he said, “We expect Ohtani to make a full recovery,” and added, “Ohtani will be able to hit without major problems starting from the opening game of 2024.”

Ohtani’s agent, Nezu Valero, said on the day, “The final decision and surgery were made with the big picture in mind,” and added, “Ohtani hopes to be able to double as a pitcher in the future.”

Ohtani expressed his determination, saying, “I completed the surgery safely. I will do my best to return to the field as soon as possible.”

Ohtani entered the Major League stage with a six-year contract with the Angels in 2018. He will return first as a hitter next year, and may serve as a double hitter again the year after. With his long-term contract expected, 2025 is not that far away. Indeed, Otani is on the operating table, but as he has shown something this year, it remains to be seen what conditions will be presented after the season.

BY: 먹튀검증