TOMMY JOHN!

Tommy John Surgery has been overly reoccurring here in spring training, as Jarrod Parker and Patrick Corbin are the last two pitchers to join the list.  Both D-Backs and A’s lost their opening day starters to the need of the surgery.  But why has it become such a common misfortune? Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy both just went down last week in need of it, Corey Leubke of San Diego appears to missing 2014 and Mets Matt Harvey only hopes to be able to return this year. Royals Luke Hochevar is going to miss the entire season due to elbow problems and of course Tommy John Surgery. The rate of this surgery has increased exponentially since the mid ‘90s.  In 1995 there was one reported surgery that took place, now we have an average in the 40s by the year.  The really unfortunate teams have been the Braves, Cardinals, and Red Sox who all have over 25 players who have suffered the surgery.  Now the numbers from the past could be false, and teams could have kept the need for the surgery a secret, but today arms are in need of it at a constant rate.  Parker, Medlen, and Beachy are already about to go in for their second Tommy John. 

The surgery was known for players later in their age, such as Randy Wolf in 2012 in his late 30s, and John Lackey in 2011.  But the younger arms have been needing it a lot more. Brett Anderson, Jamie Garcia, Daniel Hudson, and Stephen Strasburg are a few more examples of players who had to undergo the surgery in their young twenties.  Are players throwing to many pitches? Going for to much velocity? A lot of careers with big potential are getting held up, as elbow ligament issues never appear to off the top news list.  Part of teams lack of success in reaching the postseason is due to these types of injuries. The Yankees lost Pineda and missed the playoffs, while other teams such as the Red Sox, Giants, and Angels loss their closers.  Without Bailey, Harahan, Wilson, and Madson, it isn’t as easy for teams to close games out and pile up their wins.  Hopefully major league teams are taking precautionary steps in an attempt to avoid these kinds of issues.  The Red Sox have been doing that in this seasons spring training, as Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, Jake Peavy, and John Lackey have had very little action coming off their World Series victory. With the Braves currently missing two starters, and the Diamondbacks, Padres, and A’s each missing one. Give the Dodgers, Nationals, and Angels a boost in expectations for this season.