Resilience and perseverance in the journey of Shohei Ohtani. A timeline of obstacles and growth.
Shohei Ohtani, nicknamed "Shotime", is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher and designated hitter currently playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers in MLB. He previously played for the Los Angeles Angels and the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in NPB. Ohtani is renowned as a rare two-way player, excelling as both a hitter and pitcher. His exceptional performance has led many to consider his prime seasons among the greatest in baseball history, drawing comparisons to Babe Ruth's early career.
In 2016, Shohei Ohtani originally injured his ankle during the Japan Series.
In 2017, Shohei Ohtani was selected for the Japan National Baseball Team for the World Baseball Classic but had to withdraw due to an ankle injury. This injury prevented him from participating in the tournament.
In 2018, Shohei Ohtani had a rough MLB spring training, leading to doubts from American news sources about his two-way abilities, but he proved them wrong by the end of the season.
In 2019, Ohtani experienced an injury-plagued season.
In 2020, Ohtani continued to face injury challenges.
In November 2022, FTX filed for bankruptcy, wiping out billions of dollars in customer funds. This event led to legal challenges for Ohtani due to his prior association with the company.
In April 2023, Shohei Ohtani's lawyers filed for his dismissal from the FTX lawsuit, where he was accused of promoting unregistered securities.
Because of his elbow injury and consequent surgery in September 2023, Ohtani and the Dodgers announced that he would not pitch in the 2024 season.
On September 19, 2023, Ohtani received elbow surgery performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache to address the UCL tear in his right elbow.
In March 2024, an ESPN investigation revealed $4.5 million in wire payments from Shohei Ohtani's bank account to a Southern California bookmaking operation. His interpreter Ippei Mizuhara initially claimed he used the money to repay gambling debts, but Ohtani's lawyers later stated he was the victim of theft. Mizuhara was subsequently fired, and Will Ireton took over as Ohtani's interpreter. Ohtani publicly denied any involvement in sports betting.
On May 9, 2024, Lionsgate Television announced the development of a scripted series based on the interpreter gambling scandal involving Shohei Ohtani, highlighting the significant impact of the controversy.
Due to his elbow injury, Ohtani will not pitch in the 2024 season. This was announced after he suffered a ulnar collateral ligament tear in his right elbow on August 23, 2023.