MLB: Five questions about Shohei Ohtani’s injury

2-way star Shohei Ohtani suffered an elbow injury. The rookie of the Los Angeles Angels hangs in the balance and with it the playoff chances of his team. SPOX editor Marcus Blumberg answers the most important questions about the situation of the Japanese.

Starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani was replaced early in Wednesday’s match against the Kansas City Royals. According to first reports, the blistering was on his right throwing hand. These reports were obviously not confirmed.

On Saturday, the Angels officially announced that Ohtani’s injury was a second degree compression of the collateral ligament in the right elbow. He has also received injections of stem cells and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) to relieve tension, relieve pain and start the healing process.

The team also pointed out that the Japanese will be re-examined in about three weeks. In the meantime, Ohtani was prescribed absolute rest for the first 72 hours after the injections before starting a physical recovery program.

In the meantime, Pedro Gomez of ESPN reported that a Tommy John Surgery, i.e. a reconstruction of the elbow, was “very likely”. Hours later, however, Angels General Manager Billy Eppler spoke and explained that this was by no means so probable and that one wanted to wait for the healing process.

This can be true, but it can also be a game for a limited time, because the bottom line is that a compression of the second degree of the collateral ligament in the elbow is essentially at least a tear in the so essential ligament. This does not necessarily require a Tommy John Surgery.

Ohtani’s Yankee compatriot Masahiro Tanaka suffered a similar injury in his 2014 rookie season, but returned to the mound two months later after a PRP treatment, although not quite as effectively in the first instance – but that was more due to the longer loss than the condition of his elbow.

To this day, the elbow has held at Tanaka’s – without surgery. However, there are other examples such as Andrew Heaney, Ohtani’s current teammate. He was also treated conservatively with stem cells at first, but in the end he still needed the operation in 2016.

Basically however applies: as soon as there is talk of an injury of the sideband with a pitcher, all alarm sirens should automatically scream with baseball-interested humans. Because the elbow sideband is the most important part of the body next to the shoulder for a pitcher – and also the most sensitive.

Page 1: What happened to Shohei Ohtani?

Page 2: What are the immediate consequences of the Ohtani injury for the Angels?

Page 3: What are the immediate consequences of the injury for Ohtani?

Page 4: What effects does the injury have on the balance of power in AL?

Page 5: Is Ohtani’s career now at risk?