ARLINGTON Juan Samuel Jersey , Texas (AP) — Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani has new damage in his pitching elbow and the team says Tommy John surgery has been recommended.A couple of hours before Ohtani hit two home runs against Texas on Wednesday, the Angels said he had an MRI earlier in the day that revealed the problem in his right ulnar collateral ligament.“There’s more questions out there right now than answers. We’ll take it one step at a time,” manager Mike Scioscia said. “There’s a lot of consulting that Shohei will do with doctors and just see what the best course of action is, and we’ll see where we are.”The 24-year-old rookie was the Angels’ designated hitter for their series finale against the Rangers. He went 4 for 4 with three RBIs, four runs and a stolen base in a 9-3 victory over Texas.Ohtani didn’t speak with reporters after the announcement about his injury — or following the game.“He’s mentally tough in any situation he’s ever in,” Scioscia said. “Tonight, he was a hitter. He didn’t think about what the future is and what the decision is he’s got to make for his elbow. He was out there playing baseball and hitting the ball.”Asked whether Ohtani would stay in the lineup as a DH beyond Wednesday, Scioscia said: “We’ll see. That’s going to be determined from our medical department.”Angels general manager Billy Eppler said Ohtani hasn’t formally decided to have Tommy John surgery. Eppler and Ohtani plan to have an in-depth conversation about his future Monday after the Angels return from their road trip.“We committed to each other in this process, and we will get through it together as a team,” Eppler said. “But I do feel disappointment for the people in that clubhouse, and primarily Shohei.”The latest development has been dreaded by the Angels and Ohtani’s millions of fans since he was diagnosed with a sprained UCL following a start June 6. After receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection and an injection of stem cells, he was hitting again in early July, and he returned to the mound with his start Sunday at Houston.Ohtani lasted only 2 1/3 innings in that start against the Astros, and he had a drastic drop in velocity during the game. He had been scheduled to throw a light bullpen session Wednesday http://www.philliesfanproshop.com/authentic-pat-neshek-jersey , but never did after reporting that his elbow was sore. The medical staff then decided that he should get the new MRI in Texas.The Angels and Ohtani clearly took a well-calculated risk in allowing the right-hander to pitch again this season after the Grade 2 sprain of his elbow ligament was discovered. Mindful of the typical recovery timetable from Tommy John surgery, they elected to see whether Ohtani could pitch again during a time frame when he would still likely miss only one full big league season, allowing him to conceivably return in 2020.Eppler declined to confirm any such math, but the Angels realized the attempt to treat Ohtani’s elbow with rest and injections might not work.“It was something that we felt could happen, but we wanted to take a more conservative approach at this moment in time, and did that,” Eppler said.Although Ohtani is enjoying success as the Angels’ designated hitter, Eppler flatly declared that the Angels still see Ohtani as a two-way player, however long they must wait for his pitching career to resume.Eppler declined to speculate on when Ohtani could return to the lineup as a hitter in 2019 if he had Tommy John surgery soon, noting that Ohtani hasn’t even decided whether to get it done. Other position players have returned to hitting after Tommy John surgery within roughly six months of the procedure, but Ohtani’s case could be different because of his pitching abilities.“I’m sure at some point he’s going to resume his pitching career,” Scioscia said. “When that is depends on whatever the course of action is.”“We’d love to have him a whole season, but I think that taking a little half-step back here and seeing him pitch for a whole career is more important than looking back and saying “what if?'” he said.The injury puts a decided damper on one of the most exciting rookie seasons in big league history.In 10 starts on the mound, the right-hander was 4-2 with a 3.31 ERA. He struck out 63 with 22 walks in 51 2-3 innings.Ohtani hit his 16th homer Tuesday night Robin Roberts Jersey , his first against a left-hander in the big leagues. He had already joined Babe Ruth as the only players ever to hit 15 homers and pitch 50 innings in a season.Ohtani went into Wednesday night’s game hitting .276 with 16 homers and 44 RBIs in 243 at-bats.Last fall, Ohtani was diagnosed with a sprained elbow ligament while in Japan. Major League Baseball teams were advised of his condition before they could bid on his rights.The Angels paid the $20 million posting fee to Ohtani’s previous club, the Nippon Ham Fighters. Ohtani, who is under the Angels’ contractual control for six years, signed a minor league contract and got $2,315,000 in international bonus money from the Angels.On Monday, Scioscia said Ohtani had been evaluated after coming out of his pitching return early and that there was no apprehension about the elbow. The manager said then that Ohtani was dealing with tightness in his back and a sore right ring finger after a ball deflected off of it during that game, but that the elbow felt great.“When he was getting evaluated, there was obviously a little bit of soreness there,” Scioscia said Wednesday. “I don’t know if Shohei thought it was normal just from not having pitched for a while.” OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Once they got behind closed doors in the clubhouse, the Houston Astros showered Justin Verlander with champagne.No, it wasn’t for helping them avoid a sweep at the Coliseum. But that was a nice benefit Tug McGraw Jersey , too.Verlander pitched just well enough to earn his 200th career win and the Astros hit five home runs, beating the Oakland Athletics 9-4 Sunday to retake sole possession of the AL West lead.“That was one of the tougher wins I had to get this season,” Verlander said. “Our boys swung the bats and that made for a great day.”The surging A’s had won the first two games at the Coliseum to tie shaky Houston atop the division. But Yuli Gurriel hit a three-run homer in the third inning and Evan Gattis, Alex Bregman, Marwin Gonzalez and Martin Maldonado later homered for the defending World Series champions. Maldonado also tripled and doubled.“What a great way to get Verlander his 200th,” Bregman said. “We hand the ball to JV and he wins. He got us going in the right direction. He battled his head off for us.”Verlander (12-8), who has not given up more than four runs in any of his 20 career games against the A’s, entered the day with a major league-leading 1.74 ERA on the road. Matt Chapman and Khris Davis hit solo homers off Verlander in the first inning, and Davis added his 36th homer, a two-run drive, in the third that made it 4-all.Gattis put the Astros ahead for good in the fourth with his 24th home run.“I’m guessing this won’t be his last win,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said of Verlander. “You just look at his numbers. He’s something special.”Verlander gave up four runs on seven hits over 5 1/3 innings. He walked one and struck out six but gave up three home runs and has allowed 25 this season. He became the 114th pitcher with at least 200 career wins.“When you reach a milestone, you look back, understand and relish what you’ve done Drew Hutchison Jersey ,” the 35-year-old Verlander said. “I look around from when I started and realized it’s a long journey. From age 21 to now, mentally, it’s been a process.”Brad Peacock took over for Verlander in the sixth, with two runners on and one out. He struck out Stephen Piscotty on a full count, walked Marcus Semien and got Mark Canha swinging on a 2-2 pitch. Four Houston relievers shut down the A’s on one hit over 3 2/3 innings.The Astros won for the second time in nine games. The Athletics had won 13 of their past 16 games to draw even with Houston.After allowing six runs in three previous August starts combined, Sean Manaea (11-9) gave up six in four-plus innings against the Astros.TRAINER’S ROOMAstros: 2B Jose Altuve (right knee) began a rehab assignment Sunday for Triple-A Fresno at Tacoma, going 1 for 3 with a strikeout and hit by pitch. … C Brian McCann (right knee) went 0 for 3 and caught six innings on Saturday night for the Grizzlies.UP NEXTAstros: RHP Gerrit Cole (11-5, 2.71) starts for Houston at Seattle on Monday night.Athletics: RHP Mike Fiers (8-6, 3.38) takes the mound against Texas Monday night.