LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Japanese two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, whose signing with the Los Angeles Angels last week was hailed as a game-changer for that franchise, reportedly has an injured ligament in his pitching elbow that, while not considered immediately dire, required a platelet-rich-plasma shot in October and could portend more serious problems down the road.
According to a report late Tuesday by Yahoo Sports, which cited the results of a physical exam Ohtani underwent in Tokyo in late November, the injury is characterized as a first-degree sprain of his right (throwing) ulnar collateral ligament. Although a first-degree sprain is considered mild, further damage could require Tommy John ligament-replacement surgery.