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

An All-Star in 2023, Gray underwent Tommy John surgery the following year and did not return to the major leagues until last week. — ABC News, 25 Sep. 2026

Alcantara, who leads the majors in starts (33), missed the 2024 season due to Tommy John surgery. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026

Upon completing his long recovery from Tommy John surgery, Clarke Schmidt hoped to help the Yankees as a versatile bullpen weapon when the games mattered most. — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 24 Sep. 2026

Ryan, who came over to the Tigers in the deal that sent lefty ace Tarik Skubal to the Los Angeles Dodgers, hasn't pitched in the majors since 2024 while recovering from Tommy John surgery. — Christian Romo, Freep.com, 22 Sep. 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