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 the months following the trade, the Giants dealt right-hander Kai-Wei Teng to the Houston Astros while Birdsong underwent Tommy John surgery that will keep him out for the rest of the season. —Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 2 June 2026

After the Phillies returned him to the Red Sox in August 2023, Song missed time due to undergoing Tommy John surgery in March 2024. —Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 2 June 2026

While young phenom Cam Schlittler has placed himself right in the American League Cy Young Award conversation, Gerrit Cole has returned from Tommy John surgery and has thrown 13 scoreless innings to start his season — all while Max Fried is set to return from an injury. —Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 2 June 2026

The lefty reliever has suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow and will require Tommy John surgery. —Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 1 June 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