Will Shohei Ohtani need Tommy John surgery again? Revisiting players who underwent dreaded procedure twice ft. Jacob deGrom, Mike Clevinger

Will Shohei Ohtani need Tommy John surgery again? Revisiting players who underwent dreaded procedure twice ft. Jacob deGrom, Mike Clevinger
Will Shohei Ohtani need Tommy John surgery again? Revisiting players who underwent dreaded procedure twice ft. Jacob deGrom, Mike Clevinger

Shohei Ohtani has torn his UCL and the Los Angeles Angels two-way superstar is being shut down for the season on the mound.

Currently, there's no word on whether or not he will need the dreaded Tommy John, which would be the second time in his career.

Shohei Ohtani was removed from his latest start very early on with arm fatigue that was later diagnosed as a torn UCL. In the midst of the best season in baseball history, that is a brutal blow.

It also impacts his future. He's headed for a massive, potentially $500 million or more, payday. Having a second Tommy John surgery will hurt. Regardless, needing time away from pitching will hurt his value.


Could Shohei Ohtani join these players as two-time Tommy John recipients?

The Los Angeles Angels have not determined yet whether or not surgery is required for Shohei Ohtani. Tommy John is not the death knell for pitchers it used to be, but it has major downsides.

Shohei Ohtani may need Tommy John
Shohei Ohtani may need Tommy John

Among them is a lengthy recovery and often a lack of velocity after. Having it twice is even worse, and Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, Mike Clevinger, Matt Bush and Kirby Yates know that well.

Thus far, it's a mixed bag of results. Nathan Eovaldi has been excellent for the Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers. Jacob deGrom is waiting to return from his second.

Mike Clevinger has been a fine starting pitcher, but he hasn't been nearly as effective or electric as he was before. Kirby Yates has been solid, but Matt Bush has not been the same. If Ohtani needs surgery, there's no guarantee he'll return as the elite ace he's become.

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Edited by Zachary Roberts
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