Almost every major league baseball pitcher hopes to avoid hearing that they have to undergo Tommy John surgery. The procedure typically involves the reconstruction of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) inside the elbow, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Athletes who play in sports where throwing overhead is common, such as baseball and football, are more susceptible of UCL injuries.
Last month, the list of current MLB players who have undergone Tommy John surgery increased when Pittsburgh Pirates star Johan Oviedo had UCL reconstruction surgery.
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Bronson Arroyo, #61 of the Cincinnati Reds, walks on to the field where he is honored for his career prior to the start of the game against the Boston Red Sox at Great American Ball Park on Sept. 23, 2017 in Cincinnati. (Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
Former big league pitcher Bronson Arroyo joined OutKick’s “Hot Mic” with Hutton & Withrow show this week and gave some advice to players who are working their way back to the pitching mound following Tommy John surgery.
“I think just be patient because eveybody’s body is so different.” Arroyo said. “I know guys who have come back in 10 months and felt really good and I know guys who have been grinding for over two years trying to get the pain out.”
“Depending on the type of surgery you have…. there’s multiple ways you can have a Tommy John surgery depending on who’s doing the work and also everybody’s body just responds totally different… to their mechanics and everything about it.”
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Arroyo underwent the procedure during the latter stages of his professional baseball career and admitted he still experienced pain years after the surgery was completed.
Bronson Arroyo #61 of the Cincinnati Reds, who is retiring after today’s game, acknowledges the crowd as the Reds take on the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on October 1, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
“When I had it done I was already 37-years-old and my shoulder was tore at the same time, so I had both surgeries. And it took me parts of two years to try to get back… only pitched for the Reds 14 times after that and still never really got pain free.”
In July 2014, an MRI showed that Arroyo’s UCL had been torn, but at the time, the 2006 MLB All-Star still attempted to pitch in spite of the serious injury.
Even after the MRI revealed the tear, Arroyo tried to fight through it before succumbing to surgery.
“I wanted to see if I could pitch on it without the ligament, because a few guys have done it,” Arroyo said. “Most of the guys were bullpen guys, so it was going to be tough to do. I fired it up the last three days, and I could throw 120 feet and I could probably go out there and pitch, but it just won’t come back fast enough. So I’d have to pitch every 10 days and take nine days to get it healthy. It just wasn’t going to work.”
Former Cincinnati Reds player Bronson Arroyo acknowledges the crowd during a ceremony for entering the Reds’ Hall of Fame before a game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Great American Ball Park on July 15, 2023 in Cincinnati. (Aaron Doster/Getty Images)
Prior to the injury, Arroyo was a model for durability. He logged more than 200 innings in eight of nine seasons leading into the 2014 campaign. The one year he fell just one inning short of the 200 mark happened in 2011, when he was diagnosed with valley fever and other health-related issues.
On Thursday, Arroyo also recalled the multiple in-game feuds he had with former New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez.
“The July 24th fight with the Yankees there in Fenway Park, has almost become like Bobby Bobby Bonilla Day… you know whenever Bobby gets that check from the Mets, well everytime it’s July 24 I’m text messages from all over the country like ‘look what just popped up on my feed’”
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Arroyo added that despite their numerous run-ins on the baseball diamond, he had not spoken to Rodriguez.
“And the funny thing is… I’ve never had a conversation with Alex.”