Shohei Ohtani is having a very good season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Japanese has a .293 batting average and a .388 OBP, which has helped his team and above all, he has been able to show off his high personal performance. The problem is that the player has not had a good time with injuries and his physical condition continues to be questioned by fans and experts.
While Ohtani has performed very well on the field, there is always room for criticism and questioning, something that the Japanese has not been able to escape, especially because of the issue of injuries. His role on the field where he can bat and pitch puts his abilities in doubt and there have already been journalists who question his current abilities.
This was the case for Los Angeles journalist Jeff Fletcher, who explained that it will not be easy for Ohtani to fulfill his roles on the field.
How are you going to do that? What if he has to hit in the top of the ninth inning and then has to pitch in the bottom? When is he going to warm up?
A change of role for Ohtani
Fletcher’s analysis makes sense considering the roles Ohtani plays on his team. The Japanese player has the role of coming in as a closer right after batting and that is a very big demand for an athlete with his injury history. At the same time, this is also a risk for the Dodgers, as the demands on the Japanese player could be so great that instead of benefiting the team, it could end up hurting them.
“Imagine the Dodgers are down by two runs in the top of the ninth inning, and Ohtani hits a three-run homer to turn the game around. What would happen next? His newly operated ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) might not be able to withstand the strain of throwing sliders and curves after such a big offensive effort,” Fletcher said.
Shohei Ohtani’s injury history
No one doubts the great performance that Shohei Ohtani has shown with the Dodgers, however, his physique has been called into question due to his long history of injuries and to this day he continues to be questioned by the press and fans.
In 2018, it was Tommy John surgery (ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction), in 2019 it was knee surgery, in 2020 a forearm strain and in 2023 a torn ulnar collateral ligament (requiring another Tommy John surgery).
Injuries do not leave in peace a player who has many qualities, but having more than one role on the field, he ends up exposing himself more than necessary and that brings him several physical problems.
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