Shohei Ohtani's massive $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers works out to a present value (due to the unique structure with deferrals) more in the realm of $338 million, around what he was expected to get in free agency this offseason.
The Dodgers are hoping they're paying for essentially two players: Ohtani the pitcher and Ohtani the batter. But after Ohtani tore his UCL for a second time this past season, there's some concern over what he'll be like post-surgery moving forward.
There's also the question over what surgery he got in particular. Ohtani didn't name the surgery when speaking through an interpreter at his Dodgers introductory press conference.
Now, a Japanese documentary has created even more mystery over what surgery he got.
A Reddit user posted a video of a Japanese documentary that featured Shohei Ohtani talking about his recent surgery.
Some of the translations (unofficially, via Google Translate) quote the narrator of the documentary and Ohtani as saying the following...
First, the narrator indicates that a tendon from his wrist was transplanted to the UCL.
Narrator: A tendon from his right wrist was transplanted to replace the damaged ligament.
The narrator asked if there was any bracing involved, to which Ohtani confirmed.
Interviewer to Ohtani: Are you taking it from the left? Add braces (reinforcing material)?
Ohtani's answer: Yes. It looks like a brace and some sort of biological tissue. I don't really understand.
The bracing element is interesting, and sounds a lot like what San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy underwent to return from his UCL tear in short order. Just two NFL players are known to have undergone the InternalBrace augmentation surgery, and no MLB players to public knowledge have tried it.
Later, the narrator indicates Ohtani might be "reassigned" if he reinjures, which could be read as him no longer pitching and instead becoming a full-time DH or infielder.
Narrator: This is his second surgery as a pitcher, so he will likely be reassigned if he experiences the same symptoms again. For example, I don't know what position the other fielders will play, but it will be like that.
Importantly, this is all via translation software, which can be flawed and lack context about the situation or cultural nuances/slang. It's possible some of these translations are at least loosely misinterpreted or misrepresented.
That said, with how little has leaked out about Ohtani's surgery it's more or less all fans have to go off of. Make of this information what you will, bearing in mind it's entirely unofficial.
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