Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers smiles after hitting a home run. [Yonhap]
Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers smiles after hitting a home run. [Yonhap]

Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers may have to undergo surgery and rehabilitation without any support from his club.

The Associated Press reported Saturday that Ohtani mentioned the possibility of surgery after the Dodgers were eliminated from the National League Championship Series on Friday, when they lost Game 4 to the Milwaukee Brewers. The AP noted that if Ohtani does go under the knife, a potential MLB lockout could significantly affect his recovery process.

MLB clubs and the players' union are currently at odds over the introduction of a salary cap ahead of the expiration of the current collective bargaining agreement.

Team owners are pushing for a salary cap, while the players' union remains opposed.

With the two sides unable to narrow their differences, there is a considerable chance of a lockout taking effect Dec. 2 if no agreement is reached before the current CBA expires Dec. 1.

Under a lockout, clubs would halt team operations and be barred from contacting players.

"During a lockout, teams cannot communicate with players, meaning Ohtani would have to arrange surgery and rehabilitation on his own, without help from the Dodgers," the AP said.

At the same time, some analysts suggest the lockout could actually work in Ohtani's favor.

If the labor dispute drags on and delays the start of the 2027 season, Ohtani would gain extra time to recover.

Ohtani: 'This year's experience will make next season better'

Meanwhile, the Dodgers' postseason run came to an end with a four-game sweep in the NLCS.

Los Angeles fell 4-6 to Milwaukee in Game 4 on Friday.

Ohtani, who had been hampered by knee and arm injuries, unleashed a rare roar after launching a three-run home run in the second inning, but the Dodgers could not add to their total and ultimately surrendered the lead.

Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts said in a postgame interview that Ohtani's emotional outburst toward the dugout after the home run reflected pent-up anger and frustration. "That was one of the best balls he's hit in the last two or three months," Roberts said. "The way he showed that emotion tells you how much he wants to win and how much he cares about this team."

On Ohtani playing through injury, Roberts said, "He's the best player in the world, but he's not fully healthy right now. I have a great deal of respect for him for not running away and wanting to be out there even when he's not 100 percent."

"The results not being there is not on one particular player — it's on all of us," Roberts added. "I always trust Shohei."

Ohtani said after the game, "Milwaukee is a good team. I have to admit my performance was lacking. I'll use this year's experience to have a better season next year."

Asked about his plans to return to pitching next year, Ohtani said, "Of course I'll keep going." He added that he would review and discuss the question of surgery with the team during the offseason.


yul@heraldcorp.com