Nippon Ham Doctor Confirms Ohtani’s Full Two-Way Recovery!
Dr. Teruhiko Nakagawa, former president of the Japanese Shoulder Arthroplasty Society: "His physical ability is definitely No. 1 among the players I have examined.
The league championship and World Series victory made this season a memorable year for Ohtani. His strong right arm bears the scars from surgeries he underwent in October 2018 and September 2023.The timing of the comeback.
“By next May, he should be able to make a full recovery as a two-way player.”
This strong endorsement comes from Teruhiko Nakagawa (70), an orthopedic doctor who has treated Shohei Ohtani (30) as the team doctor for the Nippon-Ham Fighters. With over 500 surgeries under his belt, Nakagawa is also a specialist in shoulder surgery and served as the president of the Japan Shoulder Society (the following comments are from Dr. Nakagawa).
Fans around the world were stunned when Ohtani injured his left shoulder during a slide stealing second base in Game 2 of the World Series between the Dodgers and Yankees. It was initially thought to be a subluxation, but further examination revealed a tear in the labrum, and the team announced on November 5th that Ohtani underwent arthroscopic surgery immediately after the series ended.
What remains concerning is the timing of his return.
“It will take about three months for the labrum to reattach to the bone and regain strength, and it will take about six months for a full recovery. Since the surgery was done in early November, Ohtani should be able to begin batting practice during spring training in February next year. However, it will take more time for him to return to pitching. The fact that he had surgery quickly after the injury to achieve early repair was a good decision. Top athletes have a high recovery ability. Ohtani may make a full recovery earlier than expected.”
It becomes foolish to practice.
According to Dr. Nakagawa, Ohtani’s physique has been superhuman since his time with the Nippon-Ham Fighters. One iconic example is the “Ohtani exercise,” a movement where he can bring both elbows in front of his body while placing the backs of his hands on his sides.
“This is a movement that normal players can’t do. Since Ohtani joined the Fighters, his shoulder joint flexibility was exceptional. I’ve been the team doctor since 1996, and his physical abilities are definitely the number one among all the players I’ve treated.”
Sho Nakata, a former teammate from the Fighters and now with the Chunichi Dragons, witnessed Ohtani’s high physical ability and strength firsthand, commenting, “It becomes foolish to practice.”
“I travel with the Fighters every year to their spring training in Okinawa, where many players visit me for treatment due to injuries. However, I have no memory of treating Ohtani. We would only chat while I massaged him for about 20 minutes. He has a strong, resilient body that rarely gets injured. The year he went to the Major Leagues, he sent me a handwritten New Year’s card that said, ‘I’ll do my best in America.’ I still watch his games and support him whenever I have the time, as he is polite and highly capable.”
Ohtani, having achieved the ultimate honor of winning a World Series title and receiving numerous Major League awards, will continue to make legends next season as a two-way player with his physique that still astonishes doctors.
A photo of Ohtani and Dr. Nakagawa, taken in November 2017, just before Ohtani went to the U.S. to join Major League Baseball. It’s a rare two-shot.Interview and text by Masayoshi Katayama (journalist)： Masayoshi Katayama (Journalist) PHOTO： AP/Afro Courtesy of Nakagawa (4th photo)
