Shohei Ohtani has undergone successful surgery on his dislocated shoulder after playing through an injury in the Dodgers World Series victory.
The Japanese superstar dislocated his shoulder during Game 2 of the Dodgers’ 4-1 victory over the Yankees, but was coy about his condition when speaking to reporters in the days that followed.
The Dodgers have now confirmed that Ohtani underwent surgery on Tuesday and released a statement to their 3 million followers on X.
It read: ‘Shohei Ohtani underwent successful arthroscopic surgery today in Los Angeles by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, to repair a labral tear resulting from a left shoulder dislocation on October 26. He is expected to be ready for Spring Training.”
The injury occurred during Game 2 when Ohtani attempted to steal second base, and although he managed to continue playing, he arrived at Yankee Stadium for Game 3 with a sling on his left arm.
Shohei Ohtani grimaces after dislocating his shoulder during Game 2 of the World Series
The injury didn’t stop Ohtani’s festivities at Yankee Stadium last week
He didn’t take it off until minutes before the game kicked off in the Bronx, and while he didn’t miss any playing time, he visibly grimaced during Games 3, 4 and 5.
Speaking to reporters after Game 3, he said, “I wasn’t exactly sure [what happened]…I was worried about whether I was safe or not.
‘It wasn’t until I went back in that we had to find out what [the injury] was. The pain has subsided, so I felt pretty good about it.”
After the incident, a social media account with English-language coverage of Japanese baseball revealed the Dodgers star’s exchanges with translators and trainers.
“Shoulder,” Ohtani said while lying in the infield, as quoted on the Yakyu Cosmopolitan X report.
‘Real?’ the translator asked. “Which one?”
When he stepped up to the plate in Games 3, 4 and 5, Ohtani often grimaced
“Left,” Ohtani said.
When asked if his arm came out of his shoulder socket, Ohtani replied: “I think so.”
The good news for fans hoping to see Ohtani pitch next season is that the injury occurred to his non-throwing arm. The two-way sensation hasn’t scored since his second Tommy John surgery in 2023, but recently came off a mound.
According to the Dodgers’ tweet update, the 30-year-old is expected to be back to full health by the start of Spring Training.