Who is Shohei Ohtani’s surgeon Neal El Attrache? Meet the man who “saved” Japanese two-way phenom's career

Although Neal El Attrache's name may not be known to most fans, the surgeon has played a pivotal role in fixing some of the MLB's top performers.

In his capacity serving as the in-house physician for both the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Rams, El Attrache has been at the forefront of some of the most-high profile medical procedures in recent sports memory.

On Dec. 9, news of Shohei Ohtani's 10-year, $700 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers shook the sports world. More still, the fact that the 29-year old star would be deferring some $680 million in annual value caused more intrigue.

El Attrache has been practicing sports surgery for over two decades. Associated with the Kerlan-Jobe institute since 1990, he has learned the craft of sports surgery, especially pertaining to ligament reconstructive surgery.

After his 2018 season with the Los Angeles Angels, Ohtani went under Neal El Attrache's knife, as he underwent a Tommy John surgery. This September, El Attrache once again performed a procedure on Ohtani's UCL.

While Shohei Ohtani is indeed Neal El Attrache's biggest client at the moment, he's far from the only big name that El Attrache has operated on. Some of his surgeries have been on big names like Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, UFC fighter Conor McGregor and Ohtani's new teammate Clayton Kershaw.

Additionally, El Attrache was known for performing various key operations on late Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant. Over the years, El Attrache performed successful surgeries on Bryant's knee, shoulder and Achilles tendon. Bryant expired in a tragic helicopter accident in January 2020 alongside his young daughter.

Although Shohei Ohtani will not pitch in 2024 due to surgery on his arm, the Dodgers believe that he will be ready to go in 2025. If they didn't, it would be unlikely that Ohtani would be penned to such a large contract.

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Neal El Attrache represents the standard for team doctors

A true student of medical sports science, El Attrache is an invaluable presence in the Dodgers' support staff.

Apart from Ohtani, all-time franchise strikeout leader Clayton Kershaw is nearing a possible end to his long and storied career. By having such a knowledgeable and practices team doctor, the Dodgers have put themselves in an enviable position.