Tommy John surgery

noun

Tom·​my John surgery ˈtä-mē-ˈjän- How to pronounce Tommy John surgery (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Bieber came to grips with his incoming Tommy John surgery on April 2, 2024, at T-Mobile Park. Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025 The right-hander made seven starts late in the season in his return from Tommy John surgery after he was acquired from the Cleveland Guardians on July 31. Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025 Like the Dodgers, the Yanks have deep starting pitching this year, even with Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt recovering from Tommy John surgery. Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 3 Oct. 2025 Tanner Houck was compromised from the beginning and eventually underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery. Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 3 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for Tommy John surgery

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of Tommy John surgery was in 1984

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tommy John surgery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Tommy%20John%20surgery. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

Medical Definition

Tommy John surgery

noun
Tom·​my John surgery ˈtäm-ē-ˈjän- How to pronounce Tommy John surgery (audio)
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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