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

There’s also Will Warren, who has pitched well of late, and Clarke Schmidt, who was activated off the IL on Wednesday after a grueling recovery from Tommy John surgery. — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 16 Sep. 2026

Houck’s timeline Tanner Houck, who had Tommy John surgery in August 2025, is close to returning to the team as a reliever. — Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

The 24-year-old right-hander has allowed two runs or fewer in five of seven starts since returning from Tommy John surgery in August. — ABC News, 13 Sep. 2026

The wear and tear of being an MLB pitcher for more than a decade was taking its toll — shoulder pain (on both sides), the lingering effects of Tommy John surgery, the scars of a broken finger and a broken wrist. — Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 11 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