There is a Japanese proverb: “Soundness makes a fine horse.”
It means that true greatness requires durability. Talent alone is not enough if injuries prevent performance when it matters most.
Shohei Ohtani has never been immune to injury.
In high school, he could throw 100 mph — but he battled physical setbacks and never delivered a fully satisfying performance at Koshien. Even after moving to MLB, he endured elbow surgery and seasons where he could not pitch.
For many athletes, injury feels like interruption.
For Ohtani, it became reflection.
When he could not pitch, he sharpened his hitting.
When physical limits appeared, he studied movement more carefully.
When forced to pause, he observed.
“Injuries are never a good thing,” he admitted. “But they might make you think more deeply about your play — and add depth to it.”
Pain slows you down.
Slowing down forces awareness.
Awareness creates refinement.
He does not romanticize injury. He does not pretend it is desirable.
But he refuses to let it be meaningless.
Even setbacks must serve growth.
Source
This quote comes from a Japanese book published in Japan and is not currently available in English.
Shohei Ohtani: Baseball Chronicle I (Japan Edition 2013–2018), p.273