Angels' Ohtani likely facing Tommy John surgery

An MRI on the right elbow of Los Angeles Angels pitcher/designated hitter Shohei Ohtani showed new damage to his ulnar collateral ligament, and doctors have recommended Tommy John surgery, the team announced Wednesday.

The Angels said further updates would be provided when appropriate. If Ohtani is to undergo Tommy John surgery, he would be unable to pitch all of next season while recovering, though his return to hitting would likely be expected to come sooner.

According to multiple reports, Ohtani will continue to serve the Angels as a hitter this season until he has the surgery if he has it. Ohtani is batting third against the Texas Rangers on Wednesday night.

On Sunday night, Ohtani pitched for the first time since June 6, going 2 1/3 innings in the Angels' 4-2 loss to the Houston Astros. He threw 49 pitches, striking out two and walking two. In the first two innings, his fastball reached as high as 99 mph. By the third inning, it had fallen to between 89 and 92 mph, according to reports.

Manager Mike Scioscia said after the game that Ohtani's elbow was fine but that back stiffness and a finger injury while fielding a ground ball caused the loss in velocity.

This new diagnosis, however, refutes Scioscia's comments.

The Angels signed Ohtani, 24, in December. It was reported shortly afterward that the Japanese star had a first-degree sprain of his right UCL and that he had undergone a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) shot in October to treat the elbow pain.

A day after he was placed on the 10-day disabled list in June with a right UCL sprain, he received stem cell and PRP injections in his elbow, treatments the team hoped would eliminate any need for surgery despite reports then suggesting the procedure was likely.

He returned from the DL in July to continue hitting, however, and has appeared in 81 games. He's batting .276 with 16 home runs and 44 RBIs, but he has more strikeouts (79) than he does hits (67).

On the mound, Ohtani is 4-2 with a 3.31 ERA in 10 starts.

Sunday night, he became the first major league player since Babe Ruth in 1919 to hit 15 home runs and pitch 50 innings in a season.