David Eckstein Says Shohei Ohtani Should Still Pitch & Hit Despite Arm Injury

If it were up to David Eckstein, there would be no debate over how his former team should handle Shohei Ohtani -- telling TMZ Sports Shohei should still pitch and hit even if he has arm surgery!!

There's been a huge debate in baseball over what the Angels should do with their rookie phenom, whose pitching elbow is now so jacked up ... it requires Tommy John.

David says if it were his body and his arm ... he'd have the surgery and go back to both pitching and hitting when it recovers.

Some in the baseball world disagree ... saying Shohei is such a beast of a hitter -- he should drop pitching and just focus on the plate.

BUT -- Eckstein has a response to that ... telling us Ohtani can still rake while he's recovering from TJ -- using one of the game's top minor leaguers as his example.

And then once he's fully healed up ... S.O. can go back to being a dual threat.

So, seems pretty cut and dry ... somebody get Mike Scioscia on the phone.