Shohei Ohtani Says He Will Play as Hitter While Deciding on Tommy John Surgery

Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani hasn't decided if he will undergo Tommy John surgery.

Per Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register, Ohtani said Friday he will close out the 2018 season as a hitter as he continues to deliberate whether to have elbow ligament reconstruction.

Fletcher noted that Ohtani seems "mostly resigned" to having the surgery but isn't certain at this point.

On Wednesday, the Angels recommended Tommy John surgery for Ohtani after an MRI revealed new damage to his ulnar collateral ligament. 

"For now, he's cleared to hit," Angels general manager Billy Eppler told reporters. "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."

That same night, Ohtani went 4-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI and four runs scored in the Angels' 9-3 victory over the Texas Rangers. 

The Japan native added he doesn't plan to give up pitching, via Fox Sports West's Patrick O'Neal. 

Ohtani has been terrific in his first MLB season. The 24-year-old is hitting .287/.367/.579 with 18 homers in 247 at-bats. He also has a 3.31 ERA with 63 strikeouts in 51.2 innings as a pitcher.