In early September of his rookie MLB season, Shohei Ohtani was diagnosed with a torn ligament in his right elbow and was told that he would need Tommy John surgery.

For most players, such news would be devastating.

While surgery would ultimately be necessary, undergoing it sooner would have allowed for an earlier start to rehabilitation and a potentially faster return.

Yet Ohtani made a different choice.

He continued playing as a hitter for nearly a month until the end of the season.

During that time, he didn’t just play—he excelled, even earning Player of the Week honors shortly after the diagnosis.

Months later, he explained his reasoning:

“When I was diagnosed as needing Tommy John surgery, I was swinging the bat really well and seeing the ball clearly, so I wanted to experience finishing the season.”

At that moment, he felt a clear sense of growth as a hitter.

Rather than immediately stepping away, he chose to invest in that momentum.

The decision was not without risk.

But Ohtani prioritized experience and development—believing that completing the season in peak form would contribute more to his long-term growth.

After the season ended, he underwent surgery without delay.

That period of continued play proved meaningful, as he later developed into one of the most dominant hitters in Major League Baseball.

Source

This quote comes from a Japanese book published in Japan and is not currently available in English.

SHO-TIME: Shohei Ohtani and the Man Who Changed 120 Years of MLB History, p.172