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.
He’s been sidelined by injuries in recent years, undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2021. Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 17 May 2025 But after undergoing Tommy John surgery in college and missing most of last season with a major injury, Horton simply needs reps. Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 17 May 2025 Among them is a youthful core of Yankees gradually developing into solid everyday players, the resurgence of Paul Goldschmidt, the brilliance of Max Fried in a year when Gerrit Cole is recovering from Tommy John surgery on his elbow. Larry Fleisher, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025 Hurling a ball 100 miles an hour, hundreds of times a week, is really, really tough on the ligament that holds the arm together—so violent that more than a third of Major League pitchers have had what’s commonly known as Tommy John surgery, named for the first player who underwent it. The Atlantic, 15 May 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

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Cite this Entry

“Tommy John surgery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Tommy%20John%20surgery. Accessed 23 May. 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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