Shohei Ohtani's MRI shows new damage to his ulnar collateral ligament

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 likely would be expected to come sooner.

"There's more questions out there right now than answers. We'll take it one step at a time," manager Mike Scioscia told reporters. "There's a lot of consulting that Shohei will do with doctors and just see what the best course of action is, and we'll see where we are."

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 batted third against the Texas Rangers on Wednesday night, going 4-for-4 with two home runs and three RBIs.

Ohtani had also homered Tuesday.

"For now, he's cleared to hit," Angels general manager Billy Eppler said in a conference call. "I think we saw effectiveness even last night (when he homered) with the ligament being in the situation it's currently in. He is cleared to hit still."

Eppler added that he and Ohtani will discuss Ohtani's next steps when the team returns from its current road trip on Monday.

"We committed to each other in this process, and we will get through it together as a team," Eppler said. "But I do feel disappointment for the people in that clubhouse, and primarily Shohei."

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.

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

The decision to have an MRI was made when Ohtani said before his planned bullpen session Wednesday that his elbow was sore.

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 underwent 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 a procedure was likely.

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

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

Eppler said the team still views Ohtani as a pitcher and hitter despite the setback.

"He trusted that we'd use him in a two-way role, and we made that commitment," Eppler said.

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