Tommy John first outing

@Baseballin posted:

My son had Tommy John surgery 15 months ago and had his first outing this last weekend. There were a lot of nerves And a lot of excitement. He struck the first person out but then kind of fell apart after that walking 2 and 2 hits. It was tough to watch but he persevered. After the game he was very upset with his performance and said he wasn’t sure if he could do it anymore. My question to the group is do you have any stories about Tommy John comebacks and their first outings? (Good or bad) To share with him to show him that it’s gonna take a while for him to be the player he wants to be.

PT, pens, working out, instruction, strength training, mental preparation, etc., can all be very important pieces of a successful comeback.  That said, live game adrenaline is an entirely different element.  It's a bit like early in the PT process. Fortunately, it doesn't take nearly as long to ramp back up.

The first outing should be about how does he physically feel while pitching and how does he feel the next day. Everything else will follow over time.

Tagging some members who are still active and might be able to help:

@chefmike7777 @younggun @baseballmomx4 @GloFisher

I haven't worked with any "post Tommy John" surgery patients, but from my experience, almost everybody has some mental issues in trusting their body parts after surgery. As stated above, Follow the advice of the surgeon and the Physical Therapist, and time( and reps) will play a large part in getting the "trust" back (so that he doesn't have to think about anything except the next pitch).

Best of luck and let us know how he progresses.

My son’s first outing was almost 12 months to day from injury and 11.5 months from surgery. His team was very careful with him. His first two outing he faced 3 batters and those were a week apart. He was originally scheduled to be a starter that year but coaches ended up leaving him in bullpen and longest outing was 3 innings that year.  

RJM is correct in that it should be about how he felt physically. I know the trainer was all over my son for first month after each outing checking him out physically.

as far as outings of first 4 ,  3 were good, 1 not so good. Actually first outing he faced Clemson and struck out the previous years POY. That was an exciting day 😃. He did struggle for a while with command. But that came back.  

Tell your son it is hard, but the game is worth the effort.

My son's experience is similar so I would encourage your son and tell him it gets better.  My son's first few outings he had mechanical issues, didn't have a lot of feel, was timid to let it go...  he made it through the year but wasn't really sharp. He struggled with arm slot and a few mechanical changes that happened with his delivery.   Year two is when he really felt better.  I've monitored several players recoveries, due to my obvious interest, and i'd say, there were some that came right back but the majority seemed to struggle until year two, especially those that had it in high school when they were still growing and developing.  Reassure him that there are better days ahead.. just keep working. 

Baseballin, buckle up as this is gonna be long. Sorry up front. Son had TJ surgery in Nov 2015. This was his freshman season at LSU. The plan was to redshirt and then he should be more than ready for spring 2017.

During fall workouts of 2016 he did very little throwing to the best of my recollection. After they returned from Christmas break, he joined the team throwing program. So he was a full 13+ months post surgery. Everyone will tell you it takes 12 months to “get back”. Well that is probably true for the healing of the surgical site and new ligament. Being ready to perform on the mound is a totally different thing. So much depends on the rehab. Everyone heals differently. Son had worked his butt off in the training room. He spent HOURS with the trainer breaking down scar tissue, working on mobility and getting his full range of motion back. He would report to me, “Dad, something just doesn’t feel right. My arm doesn’t feel like it used to.”  I would ask, “Does it hurt?  Is there any pain?”  No. Just doesn’t feel “normal”. We went thru this for weeks and weeks and frankly months. His velocity was back but he couldn’t locate pitches like he was accustomed to. Son had always been a strike thrower since he first picked up a baseball. I don’t have his stats in front of me, but the 2017 season started off rough I can tell you. He persevered. I spoke to his trainer. I spoke with his physician that performed the surgery. The MD basically said he has to trust the ligament and just turn it loose. By the end of the season, he was one of the guys the coach trusted. He closed the SEC championship game against Arkansas and pitched in game 1 of CWS final against Florida. The 2018 season was very good and he actually started 5 games in the last half of the season including the final game against Alabama that we had to win to make the post season, game 1 of SEC championship (a must win game to move on) and game 1 of our regional.  

My point is the coaching staff trusted him and he trusted himself. But this was 24+ months post TJ surgery. He was drafted in 2018. He hadn’t been a regular starter since 2015 in HS.  In 2 seasons at LSU, I think he had thrown a total of 80ish innings. His first full season in pro ball 2019, he threw 132 innings with only 26 BB and 132K and was voted an organizational all star. I don’t tell you that to toot his horn. I tell you that so you can pass it to your son. Be patient!!  Stay the course!  Work your ass off in the training room. Forget the timelines. As long as you aren’t experiencing pain in the arm, keep going. He has to learn to differentiate between pain and soreness. He has to learn to listen to and trust his body. Like I told my son, it most likely will NEVER feel “normal”. You had your arm filleted open, holes drilled into your bones and a ligament from a foreign site grafted into the surgical field. How do you expect it to ever be “normal”. You will have a “new normal”. But my son will tell you it wasn’t until the 2019 season that he felt “back” completely. So that is a full 3 years. I realize everyone is different and has a different story. But that is his and ours. This journey WILL involve you as a parent whether you want it to or not. You have to keep him sane. The mental part was BY FAR more difficult than the physical part. Best of luck to you and your son.

@chefmike7777 posted:

My son’s first outing was almost 12 months to day from injury and 11.5 months from surgery. His team was very careful with him. His first two outing he faced 3 batters and those were a week apart. He was originally scheduled to be a starter that year but coaches ended up leaving him in bullpen and longest outing was 3 innings that year.  

RJM is correct in that it should be about how he felt physically. I know the trainer was all over my son for first month after each outing checking him out physically.

as far as outings of first 4 ,  3 were good, 1 not so good. Actually first outing he faced Clemson and struck out the previous years POY. That was an exciting day 😃. He did struggle for a while with command. But that came back.  

Tell your son it is hard, but the game is worth the effort.

I remember watching that game at Clemson, it was really good to meet you. I hope all is well.

I remember meeting you as well.  It was so great meeting people from here along his journey.  

My son came back 11.5 months after surgery in 2016 and 1st outing went well and the rest of the season not good. In retrospect came back too early, velocity was there, control was not, nor was recovery time.  He would state that the toughest thing wasn't the surgery and rehab it was "sucking " that year. Got better every year and is still playing in the minors chasing his dream.

Son is in year 2 of return now. Had TJ early 2018. Summer 2019 pens went from 86 to touching 90. Fall 2019 / spring 2020  velocity inconsistent 86-92 and control inconsistent. The day he left campus when the season was shut down (March 2020) he touched 93 for the first time. Continued being inconsistent until he went to Driveline in July 2020. By November 2020 he was sitting 93 touching 95 but still inconsistent control. This season his control is good but has had little setbacks (intercostal strain) as the rest of his body adapts. I doubt anything can prepare a body for pitching except pitching and I highly recommend video mechanics analysis before he develops muscle memory. Tell him to have patience with himself and enjoy the ride.