Shohei Ohtani Tommy John history: How many times has MLB's new $700,000,000 man undergone dreaded procedure?

Shohei Ohtani's 10-year, $700 million contract that he inked with the Dodgers on Saturday represents a sports record. Although the 2023 AL MVP is not expected to throw a single pitch in 2024, his value is beyond question.

With the signing, Ohtani put weeks of deafening speculation to rest. With the deal, Ohtani can now focus on doing what matters most, which is winning a World Series in his new blue outfit.

"Shohei Ohtani is signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers" - FOX Sports: MLB

The 29-year-old Japanese star easily won the AL MVP on account of his 44 home runs and 351 total bases, both the most in the league. Additionally, Ohtani went 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA through 32 starts on the bump this season.

Although 2023 was one of his best pitching seasons to date, the former Los Angeles Angels star threw his last pitch at the beginning of September. By the end of that month, Ohtani would undergo elbow surgery, likely closing the book on any sort of pitching aspirations until the next season.

The September 9 operations sought to address Shohei Ohtani's torn UCL. However, the procedure could not be defined as Tommy John surgery. Ohtani underwent the process named for Tommy John, a former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher himself.

Even though Shohei Ohtani will miss almost all, if not the entire, of the 2024 season, the Dodgers know that the deal will yield long-term results. Up until the very end, it was speculated that Ohtani would instead choose the MLB's only Canadian team, the Toronto Blue Jays. However, the former NPB star ultimately decided to stay much closer to home.

"Shohei Ohtani underwent elbow surgery this morning, his agent says. Ohtani is expected to be able to hit by Opening Day 2024 and pitch again in 2025" - Talkin' Baseball

Tommy John surgery is a process that most pitchers undergo at some point in their careers. The invasive surgery involves taking a ligament from another part of the body and inserting it where the damaged Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL) used to be.

Shohei Ohtani's value exists on both sides of the plate

As expected, Ohtani will earn a record-setting amount for the duration of his contract in LA. The unique two-way abilities and the positive implications that they can have for his team cannot be understated, even if it will take some time to ensure that he can be added to the Dodgers' rotation in an eventual manner.