Shohei Ohtani to Undergo Tommy John Surgery to Repair Elbow Injury

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher and designated hitter Shohei Ohtani will undergo Tommy John surgery on his right elbow during the first week of the offseason, according to the Southern California News Group's Jeff Fletcher.

Angels doctors previously recommended Ohtani undergo the procedure after they discovered "new damage" to his ulnar collateral ligament, per ESPN.com's Alden Gonzalez.

Ohtani signed with the team in December after establishing himself as one of the most exciting young talents in baseball with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in Japan. The dual-threat sensation posted a 3.31 ERA across 10 starts before he was shut down from throwing because of the UCL damage, but he's remained a factor at the plate.

Entering Tuesday night's game against the Texas Rangers, Ohtani boasted a .280/.361/.564 slash line with 21 home runs and 56 RBI.

The Angels could be forced to make some difficult decisions in 2019 about Ohtani's workload and how they will protect their investment. He's proved he's a productive hitter, but his value is undoubtedly bolstered by his mound work.