Tommy John surgery

noun

Tom·​my John surgery ˈtä-mē-ˈjän- How to pronounce Tommy John surgery (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Dodgers’ 2015 1st round pick underwent his second Tommy John surgery in August 2022, and didn’t return until well into the 2024 season. Tony Blengino, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024 He is expected to be able to pitch next season after not being able to in 2024 after Tommy John surgery. Scott Thompson, Fox News, 6 Nov. 2024 Ohtani is expected to join the Dodgers’ starting rotation next year after being limited to hitting this season while recovering from a 2023 revision to his Tommy John surgery. Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024 In his return from a second career Tommy John surgery, Buehler went 1-6 with a 5.38 ERA. Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for Tommy John surgery 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of Tommy John surgery was in 1984

Dictionary Entries Near Tommy John surgery

Cite this Entry

“Tommy John surgery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Tommy%20John%20surgery. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

Tommy John surgery

noun
Tom·​my John surgery ˈtäm-ē-ˈjän- How to pronounce Tommy John surgery (audio)
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!