Angels' Shohei Ohtani MRI Reveals New UCL Injury; Tommy John Surgery Recommended

The Los Angeles Angels announced Wednesday that an MRI on two-way star Shohei Ohtani's right (throwing) elbow showed new damage to his ulnar collateral ligament. The announcement noted "UCL reconstruction surgery is the recommended plan."  

Ohtani suffered a sprained UCL in his right elbow in early June, which caused him to miss nearly a full month of action and raised questions about potential Tommy John surgery at the time.

When healthy, the 24-year-old has been a revelation for the Angels this season. He has slashed .276/.355/.547 with 16 home runs and 44 RBI as a hitter and a 3.31 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 51.2 innings as a pitcher.

Despite this development, Patrick O'Neal of Fox Sports West noted he Ohtani is in Wednesday's lineup against the Texas Rangers. O'Neal pointed out "It’s undetermined when or even if he will have elbow reconstructive surgery."

Angels GM Billy Eppler said Ohtani hasn't decided if he wants to have the surgery and added that it's too early to tell if Ohtani will be able to return as a hitter in 2019, per Jon Morosi of MLB Network.

He immediately became one of MLB's most exciting players because of his two-way abilities, and he gave the Angels a formidable pitcher and hitter who provided power and consistency. It's difficult not to be concerned about his long-term health after this latest setback, though.

Though the Angels would assuredly like to end the 2018 season on a high note, it's more important for Ohtani to be fully healthy by the time he enters his prime. Expect the team to exercise caution at least in terms of when he pitches so the rare two-way talent can capitalize on his potential over the course of his major league career.