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Los Angeles (AFP)

Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani is set for a long-term injury layoff after a scan revealed he will need surgery to reconstruct his right elbow, the Major League Baseball outfit confirmed Wednesday.

The talented Japanese two-way threat had only returned to pitching duties on Sunday after a three-month absence from the mound following a separate elbow injury.

However the Angels said in a statement Ohtani had suffered fresh damage to his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL).

"Based on these findings, UCL reconstruction surgery is the recommended plan of care," the Angels said. "Additional information will be provided when appropriate."

UCL or "Tommy John" surgery is a serious injury in baseball, and usually requires at least a year on the sidelines before a player can return.

Ohtani had thrown 49 pitches in his comeback to the mound against Houston on Sunday before departing after being smashed for a two-run homer by Astros slugger George Springer.

There had been no hint of a problem after the game, with Angels manager Mike Scioscia expressing satisfaction with the 24-year-old's performance.

"Stuff looked really good," Scioscia said.

"I don't know if he was trying to do something different but the first two innings his stuff was (as) good as it has been. So that was exciting. We'll see how he feels and what he was trying to do. But he looked great."

The game saw Ohtani make Major League Baseball history as the only player besides Babe Ruth to start 10 games as a pitcher and hit at least 10 homers in the same season.

Ohtani had returned from his earlier injury in July after a month on the disabled list but only as a designated hitter.

Ohtani's arrival in Major League Baseball this season had been one of the league's most compelling storylines, with observers eager to see whether the pitching prowess and explosive presence at the plate that marked his career in Japan would translate to Major League Baseball.

An indifferent series of performances in spring training raised doubts about his readiness.

But he assuaged those concerns with a series of superb performances in the opening weeks of the season, hitting three home runs in his first three home games for the Angels.

The Anaheim-based outfit was chosen by Ohtani despite overtures from several leading MLB franchises including the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants.

© 2018 AFP