How can Shohei Otani (29, LA Angels), who has damaged elbow ligaments, ‘hit’?
Ohtani started the first game of a doubleheader (DH) against the Cincinnati Reds on the 24th of last month (Korean time) and left the mound without completing two innings. The cause of the early decision was elbow pain. The results of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were worse than expected. “Ohtani has torn the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. He will not be able to pitch again this season,” Angels general manager Perry Minassian said. The injury of Ohtani, a Major League Baseball (MLB) 'two-way star' who serves as both a pitcher and a hitter, attracted extraordinary attention from the local media.
Unable to decide whether to have surgery, Ohtani stopped pitching. However, ‘Otani the batter’ is alive and well. He has been playing as a designated hitter since the second game as DH on the 24th of last month when he felt elbow pain. He hits without any problems, to the point where the medical opinion that his elbow ligament is torn is meaningless. Coach Heo Jae-hyuk, who was in charge of training at multiple clubs in the KBO League, said, “You have to look at the extent of damage to the ligaments, but the impact (of elbow ligament damage) is less when hitting than when throwing a ball,” and added, “If a right-handed batter injures the ligaments in his right elbow. “It could have a bigger impact (considering movement, etc.), but it’s fortunate that Ohtani (who pitches right-handed and bats left-handed) is a left-handed hitter,” he said.
Coach Heo Jae-hyuk, who graduated from Montana State University and the University of Oklahoma, also worked as a trainer for the Chicago Cubs minor league team. He said, "If the elbow is acutely damaged, it can cause tremendous pain, but based on the article in Ohtani's case, it appears that the damage continued chronically." He added, "Even if the batter check here and the pitcher undergo the same Tommy John surgery (elbow ligament joint surgery), “Batterers start training faster. The stress on their elbows is different. There are very few cases where Tommy John surgery is performed just by hitting,” he added.
Former Lotte Giants rehabilitation coach Jeong 스포츠 고화질 중계 Tae-seung said, "Even if the elbow ligaments are damaged, you can compensate for them with other muscles, including the forearm, biceps, and triceps, to produce a certain amount of exercise performance," based on the premise that you need to know the extent of the damage. Former coach Jeong Tae-seung suffered from a torn elbow ligament while attending Sungkyunkwan University. Since he was in his senior year ahead of the rookie draft, he had no choice but to throw the ball while receiving injections and enduring the pain. Even in his normal life, he would suddenly experience pain when he straightened or bent his arm.
Former coach Jeong Tae-seung said, "I pitched for about a year with a torn ligament. (Depending on the injury), athletic ability may be reduced, but the function is possible." He added, "If Ohtani had to defend and throw, it would have been difficult (to play normally like this)." "It is possible because he only bats as a designated hitter. Depending on whether the ligament damage is 60%, 40%, or complete rupture, we decided that he can play (in his current condition)."
Most trainers interviewed by this newspaper were not overly concerned about damage to batters' elbow ligaments. It was predicted that even if one could not demonstrate 100% athletic ability, one would be able to produce comparable results.
Club A's chief trainer said, "Even if the ligament is ruptured, if it is not completely torn, a certain amount of fibers remain, and muscles can provide stability, so it may be possible to hit." “The pushing force is large, so if there is an injury, ligament pain occurs and you cannot throw. However, I think it is possible because the stress of the valgus force is not that much when hitting.”