Ohtani to skip surgery and return healthy for 2027 season

Summarised from 2 outlets · 3 reports · Updated 22 Oct, 01:58 · Archive

Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani will not need offseason surgery and is expected to be at full health for the 2027 season.

Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman confirmed on Wednesday that Shohei Ohtani will not require offseason surgery and is expected to be healthy for the 2027 season. Friedman said surgery was 'not on the table' for the two-way star following an end-of-season medical assessment.

Ohtani's 2026 campaign was defined by injuries. He battled left knee inflammation beginning in mid-June and struggled with right arm discomfort throughout the summer. Friedman described the situation as 'a little bit of an unfortunate game of whack-a-mole', explaining that when Ohtani's knee improved, issues with his bicep area then bothered him. The team had previously described these issues only as 'inflammation' and 'discomfort' during the season.

Doctors determined that Ohtani needed rest rather than surgical intervention. The Dodgers were eliminated from the National League Championship Series last week. Ohtani had expressed uncertainty about whether he would need offseason procedures before Friedman's announcement.

How it is being reported

• Shohei Ohtani will not need surgery during offseason and is expected to pitch in 2027Andrew Friedman, the team's president of baseball operations, said surgery was "not on the table" for Ohtani.The Japan Times · 22 Oct, 01:20
• Dodgers’ Dalton Rushing undergoing elbow surgery, leaving 2027 role unclearShohei Ohtani avoided surgery after his injury-plagued 2026 season. Dodgers backup catcher Dalton Rushing, however, wasn’t so lucky. Rushing was set to undergo an internal brace procedure on Wednesday to address the damaged ligament in his right throwing elbow, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation. Los Angeles Dodgers’ Dalton Rushing hits a...New York Post · 21 Oct, 23:27
• Shohei Ohtani will not need offseason surgery, expected to be healthy for start of next yearOffseason surgery is “not on the table” for Shohei Ohtani this winter, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Wednesday, confirming that the team expects the two-way star to be back at full health for the beginning of next year. The news comes on the heels of Ohtani’s injury-plagued 2026 campaign, in which he...New York Post · 21 Oct, 21:45

In this story: Shohei Ohtani · Andrew Friedman · Los Angeles Dodgers · Brandon Gomes

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