Regardless if Shohei Ohtani re-signs with the Los Angeles Angels this offseason or he inks a mega-deal with a new team during free agency, the generational superstar will continue playing as a two-way player, according to ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez.
“There’s not a question in his mind that he’s going to come back and he’s going to continue to do both,” Ohtani’s agent, Nez Balelo of CAA, said during a session with MLB journalists from his suite in Angel Stadium.
Ohtani will continue to hit for the foreseeable future despite being a late scratch from the Angels’ lineup on Monday due to what was described as a right oblique tightness, Balelo did not commit to Ohtani doin so for the rest of the season.
The agent did go on to say that the pending free agent will eventually undergo “some type of procedure,” a list of options that would seemingly include Tommy John surgery or a noninvasive treatment that utilizes stem cells and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in an effort to strengthen the ligament.
There is also talk of a relatively new, less-invasive bracing procedure also has been popularized in recent years, but it is unclear if Ohtani would be aligned for it.
Ohtani underwent stem cell and PRP therapy in June 2018 in hopes of avoiding surgery, then was told just three months later that he would need Tommy John surgery, a procedure he underwent in October of that year.
The wait time prevented Ohtani from playing as a designated hitter until May of the following season, something that Balelo says will not be the case this time around.
“It’s completely different,” Balelo said, stating that Ohtani’s initial surgery is “all together, all intact, no problems. Everything looks good.”
Balelo said doctors told him the current tear is “the best-case scenario for the situation we’re in,” as well.
“Shohei’s going to be fine,” Balelo said. “Is he going to pitch the rest of the year? No. We already know that. Is he going to get into next year? We don’t know yet. So just bear with me on that. But I do know this — no matter what timetable we’re dealing with and when we get this done, Shohei’s going to be in somebody’s lineup next year, DHing when the bell rings. We know that. We’re not going to push that. He’s going to be good to go.”
“This guy loves the game,” Balelo said. “When he found out that there’s nothing that he can do to create any more damage than what’s already been done, he was like, ‘I’m going to play this thing out until we gather more information to make the right decision.’ That’s where we’re at as of today.”
“He can lift, he can run, he can slide, take violent swings,” Balelo said. “He can do anything he wants right now. It doesn’t affect the problem in question. We’re good. Whatever we decide to get done, we have to take into consideration next year. The way the timetable is going to play out, he’s going to be fine when the bell rings in ’24.”
Ohtani’s free agency journey will be one that sports social media will follow for the next few months.
