Shohei Ohtani Says His Elbow Surgery Was 'Completely Different' From First Tommy John

We have some more answers... kind of.

The Dodgers formally introduced two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani on Thursday at Dodger Stadium in front of a frenzy of media members. It was the first time that he had spoken to the media since August.

Ohtani opened up about the surgical procedure that he had to repair his UCL tear from this past season. He said that he didn't know what it was called, but that it was very different from his previous Tommy John surgery from a few years ago.

"It was a procedure. I'm not sure what it was called. I know it was completely different from my last one."

Shohei Ohtani said to ask his doctor about what his official procedure was called when asked if it was a second Tommy John surgery.

— Noah Camras (@noahcamras) December 14, 2023

Ohtani's agent, Nez Balelo, was asked by our own J.P. Hoornstra about the surgery, and said that it didn't have a name. But he did say that his progress is ahead of how most people recover from Tommy John surgery.

I asked Nez Balelo directly about the surgery Shohei Ohtani had. He said it has no name - that’s how uncommon it is - and his progress so far is ahead of the typical Tommy John surgery timetable for recovery.

— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) December 14, 2023

This is great news for all fans, but Ohtani still won't be pitching in the 2024 season. He will be the Dodgers' full-time designated hitter for the year, giving them a very powerful left-handed bat in the lineup. Part of the reason he picked the Dodgers was their ability to win, and they are able to do that while he recovers from his surgery.

Ohtani being ahead of schedule is incredible for the Dodgers and makes it even more likely that he will get back to the mound sooner rather than later. But Ohtani does plan to return to the mound in 2025 to resume his two-way abilities.

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