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

Buehler is recovering from a second Tommy John surgery and hasn’t pitched since June 2022. —Mike Digiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024

Eury Perez underwent Tommy John surgery last week and is out for the season. —Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2024

The league implemented the pitch clock in 2023, and 31 pitchers ended up needing Tommy John surgery, which is higher than the average of 25. —Trisha Garcia-Easto, Sacramento Bee, 11 Apr. 2024

He was shut down midway through his rookie year for Tommy John surgery, had carpal tunnel surgery in 2020 and has dealt with thoracic outlet syndrome since 2022. —Greg Rosenstein, NBC News, 7 Apr. 2024

Miami Marlins right-handed pitcher Eury Perez will undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the 2024 season, Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix announced Thursday. —Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2024

Robbie Ray, another Cy Young winner, will be another month closer to finishing his rehab from Tommy John surgery. —Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024

Last year, in the 35-year-old’s return from Tommy John surgery, Paxton had a 9.39 ERA in four starts on regular rest, compared to a 3.57 mark in 15 outings with five days or more. —Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024

Right-handed reliever Jovani Moran recently underwent Tommy John surgery and will miss the entire season. —Dean Spiros, Twin Cities, 30 Mar. 2024

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

Medical Definition

Tommy John surgery

noun

Tom·​my John surgery ˈtäm-ē-ˈjän- 

: ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction