Every spring it seems as though Major League Baseball experiences a wave of Tommy John surgeries.
Last week, fans learned of a number of big-name pitchers who will be moved to the disabled list for the entire 2015 season due to ligament damage in their throwing arms. Among those injured are Texas Rangers' Japanese ace Yu Darvish and the young New York Mets' starter Zack Wheeler, as well as two left-handed relief specialists, Kansas City Royals' reliever Tim Collins and New York Mets' southpaw Josh Edgin.
For those not in the know, "Tommy John surgery" is the colloquial name in baseball for a type of medical procedure in which the damaged ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in a player's elbow is surgically repaired. The procedure has saved the careers of countless ballplayers since its groundbreaking first attempt on Los Angeles Dodgers' pitcher Tommy John in 1974, and there are already almost a dozen players slated to undergo the surgery this spring training.
In total, 31 players saw their seasons end due to Tommy John surgery in 2014, and that number seems as though it could easily be trounced in 2015 given the current pace at which these injuries are occurring. However it is promising to know that many players have recovered before; of the 53 Major Leaguers who have undergone the surgery since the start of 2012, 32 have made a full recovery and are currently back in the MLB.
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