MLB
What is Tommy John surgery? the procedure changed baseball forever
The elbow injury suffered by ‘The Bionic Man’, a legendary Dodgers and Yankees player, marked a turning point in the Major Leagues.
Fifty years ago, Dr. Frank Jobe performed the first ‘Tommy John’ surgery. From that day on, MLB pitching careers would never be the same.
Thomas Edward John Jr., better known as “Tommy John” or “The Bionic Man,” suffered an injury to the medial collateral ligament of his elbow while pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers. During his rehabilitation, he tried various treatments that failed to improve his injury.
Dr. Frank Jobe and the first Tommy John operation
It wasn’t until Dr. Frank Jobe opted to use an innovative method that was popular during World War II - replacing the torn ligament with another expendable ligament from elsewhere in the player’s body.
The doctor took a portion of the tendon from his forearm and replaced the torn tendon from Tommy John's elbow. The operation was a success and not only returned him to the pitching mound, but also extended his career in the Major Leagues for 14 seasons.
To date, a total of 1,247 players have undergone the procedure since the first one in 1974. One of the most notable players to undergo the procedure was Justin Verlander, who returned in 2022 and received the Cy Young Award that season. Another example was Michael Kopech, who also used this method and managed to boost his fastball to 95.2 mph.
Tyler Glasnow, during his time in Tampa Bay in 2021, underwent surgery and returned to strike out 162 batters, covering his own personal limit of 120 innings.
Although Tommy John surgery has been best known for pitchers, there have also been some cases of position players who have undergone surgery. A recent example is that of Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies, who had surgery in November 2022; by May of the following year he managed to return to the line-up. Another recent case is that of Dominican Jason Dominguez of the New York Yankees in 2023, who was activated to the roster on 9 September.
Shohei Ohtani, perhaps the greatest figure in world baseball, has had two Tommy John operations: the first was on October 1, 2018, and, as the player himself said, it was complicated. In September 2023, he suffered the second, from which he is still in the process of recovering; in fact, he has not yet been able to pitch in the 2024 campaign.
Tommy John surgery has been feared by some pitchers over the years, as they risk not recovering their level. However, successful procedures, of which there are many, have allowed them to recover their careers.