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General manager Billy Eppler said "there have been no changes in Ohtani's (elbow) diagnosis and neither our physicians nor medical staff have recommended (Tommy John surgery) or said it's likely," Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

It was reported earlier by Pedro Gomez of ESPN that the two-way superstar, who was placed on the disabled list Friday with a Grade 2 UCL sprain, would "probably" need Tommy John surgery to address the partial ligament tear in his right elbow. However, the Angels have since refuted that claim, confirming that they will reevaluate Ohtani in three weeks before determining the next step in his recovery. Surgery is certainly still on the table for the 23-year-old, but the Angels are hoping that Ohtani will be able to avoid the dreaded procedure with non-surgical methods of recovery. If Ohtani were ultimately forced to undergo surgery, he would likely be sidelined until 2020. He could return to the mound after the All-Star break if he avoids surgery, but either way, he's set for an extended absence.

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