Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani picked up a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow, his pitching arm, at the end of last month.

While it was initially announced that he would not be pitching for the rest of the season, the 29-year-old continued to do designated hitter duties for the team while his camp was finalizing whether to do a second Tommy John surgery.

Ohtani's agent, Nez Balelo, provided the latest update on Monday, September 4, regarding the next move of the Japanese sensation, saying that some kind of procedure is inevitable for the baseball great, whether surgical or non-surgical.

He said that the tear in Ohtani's elbow ligament is "completely" different from last time, and the portion that was repaired during his previous Tommy John surgery is in good shape, calling it the best-case scenario.

Shohei Ohtani will continue to play two positions

Balelo added that the 2021 American League MVP intends to continue pitching and hitting as a two-way player.

"There's not a question in his mind that he's going to come back and he's going to continue to do both, like we have the last few years," Balelo said.

The three-time MLB All-Star is set to hit free agency in the offseason. While the elbow injury has caused others to be skeptical of his real value, he will still be undoubtedly the most sought-after player in the open market.