Notice: Trying to get property 'display_name' of non-object in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/wordpress-seo/src/generators/schema/article.php on line 52
keyboard_arrow_uptop

In late July of 2008, a few days after Tim Hudson walked off a mound in Miami with elbow discomfort after holding the Marlins scoreless for six innings, doctors discovered that his ulnar collateral ligament had two tears—one partial, one complete. On August 8, Hudson had Tommy John surgery. On that day, in Pensacola, Florida, Dr. James Andrews opened up Hudson's elbow, removed his ulnar collateral ligament, and transplanted a tendon from another part of his body that was also opened up. There were drills and staples and sutures. There was general anesthesia and blood and that groggy feeling you get in the recovery room. Then there were months and months of healing and rehab and re-learning how to throw. 

And then there was Tim Hudson with a new scar, a slightly different anatomy, and almost exactly the same stats he had before the surgery.

Years

Fastball Velo

GB%

BB%

K%

Swinging Strike %

ERA

2008

90.4

58

7.0

14.8

25

3.17

2009-12

90.6

59

7.2

16.3

25

3.07

 

There might be something to this whole "Tommy John surgery" idea, after all.

Thank you for reading

This is a free article. If you enjoyed it, consider subscribing to Baseball Prospectus. Subscriptions support ongoing public baseball research and analysis in an increasingly proprietary environment.

Subscribe now
You need to be logged in to comment. Login or Subscribe
hotstatrat
5/26
Has anyone done such a study where they took all pitchers who had Tommy John surgery between the ages of 26 and 30, and compared how they pitched the two full seasons before the surgery, and how they pitched the first two full seasons after the 18 - 24 month recovery from the surgery?