Tommy John surgery

noun

Tom·​my John surgery ˈtä-mē-ˈjän- 

plural Tommy John surgeries

: a surgical procedure in which a torn ulnar collateral ligament of the elbow is replaced with a tendon graft typically obtained from a superficial muscle of the forearm : ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction

Dr. Timothy Kremchek, the medical director for the Cincinnati Reds, specializes in an elbow-ligament reconstruction procedure commonly known as Tommy John surgery, named for the Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher who first underwent it, in 1974.

—Sara Corbett

But as an outfielder he hurt his throwing arm and had to have Tommy John surgery before the year was out.

—Kelli Anderson

Examples of Tommy John surgery in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In 2023 and ‘24, Ray threw 63 1/3 innings in the majors and minors after undergoing Tommy John surgery and a flexor tendon. —Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026

That’s a sizable investment in a pitcher who projects as a back-of-the-rotation arm and who is coming off an entire year lost to Tommy John surgery. —Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 8 Feb. 2026

Owen Murphy, who returned late last year after undergoing Tommy John surgery, is chief among them. —Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 6 Feb. 2026

Joe Musgrove underwent Tommy John surgery before the season started and Yu Darvish’s elbow was barking in spring training. —Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

after Tommy John (Thomas Edward John, Jr. born 1943), U.S. baseball player who underwent the surgery in 1974

First Known Use

1984, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for Tommy John surgery

• radiosurgery
• cryosurgery
• microsurgery
• neurosurgery
• psychosurgery
• perjury

Medical Definition

Tommy John surgery

noun

Tom·​my John surgery ˈtäm-ē-ˈjän- 

: ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction