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

Prior to undergoing Tommy John surgery in June 2024, Luis Perales had broken out as one of the Red Sox’s most exciting minor league pitchers. —Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 23 Oct. 2025

But the shutdown of minor league baseball during the COVID pandemic, and then Tommy John surgery, wiped out his 2020 and 2021 seasons — dealing a serious blow to Mata's development. —Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025

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

And Alcantara — who missed the 2024 season after Tommy John surgery — has rebuilt his trade value after a dreadful start, producing a 3.13 ERA over his final 12 starts and lowering his ERA from more than 9.00 early in the summer to 5.36 ERA (and an 11-12 record) by the end of the season. —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2025

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