Shohei Ohtani is rehabbing from shoulder surgery, aiming to be ready for Opening Day. The Los Angeles Dodgers’ star underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair a labrum tear in his left shoulder, which he sustained during the World Series against the New York Yankees last month.
“We’ve already removed the stitches,” Ohtani shared during a press conference in Los Angeles, shortly after receiving his third Most Valuable Player award, his inaugural win with the Dodgers. “The current goal is to bring back my range of motion. Today we started working on core, and we’re slowly ramping up right now.”
[Related: Shohei Ohtani wins NL MVP by unanimous vote]
The surgery took place on November 5, just four days after Ohtani and the Dodgers celebrated their World Series victory with a parade through downtown Los Angeles, an event filled with excitement and joy.
“We’ve been stuck in rehab every day, and I’ve been sitting on my bed relaxing,” he remarked through a translator. “We haven’t been able to take some time to celebrate as a family.”
Ohtani did not pitch this season while recovering from elbow surgery performed in September 2023. The injury to his shoulder occurred while he attempted to steal second base during Game 2 of the World Series.
Interestingly, Ohtani’s most anxious moment during his first regular season with the Dodgers had nothing to do with his performance on the field.
It revolved around his cherished dog, Decoy.
“The most nerve-wracking game was when we had Decoy throw out the pitch,” he admitted.
On Thursday, Ohtani was joined by Decoy, a Dutch Kooikerhondje, who made a brief appearance on television as Ohtani discussed his MVP honor alongside his wife, Mamiko Tanaka. He described the recognition as “very humbling.”
At 30 years old, the designated hitter secured all 30 first-place votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association, making history as the first player to win MVP honors unanimously three times. He previously won twice in the American League while playing for the Los Angeles Angels.
Ohtani is now among a select group of players, becoming only the second in major league history to win the award in both leagues, following Frank Robinson, who achieved this feat in 1961 and 1966.
In the near future, Ohtani may reunite with a familiar face on the field. Highly regarded pitcher Roki Sasaki is anticipated to sign with a Major League Baseball team by January. Ohtani and Sasaki were teammates when Japan triumphed in the World Baseball Classic in 2023.
“No, I haven’t really been recruiting him in any way,” Ohtani stated. “I consider him a friend, so we’ll talk every so often about baseball in general and life. I’ll respect his decision wherever he wants to sign, and I think he’ll do well wherever he goes.”
