Jobe performed the first such ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction surgery on John, who was then a pitcher with the Dodgers, on Sept. 25, 1974. John returned to the majors in 1976 and pitched for 14 more seasons with his reconstructed left elbow. Forty-three years later, about 80 percent of players who undergo Tommy John surgery return to baseball.
The Nationals’ organization and its fans are plenty familiar with the career-saving procedure, which is part of what makes this giveaway so brilliant. Stephen Strasburg’s dominating performance in Wednesday’s win over the Cubs wouldn’t have been possible without Tommy John surgery. According to Jon Roegele’s incredible database, 36 current and former Nationals — from Luis Ayala to Jordan Zimmermann — have undergone the procedure since 2005, and many of them returned to their previous level of success.
Here’s a look at the Nationals pitchers who have undergone Tommy John surgery since 2005:
Francis Beltran, RHP, 2005
T.J. Tucker, RHP, 2005
Thomas John Tucker made 13 relief appearances for the Nationals in 2005. He didn’t pitch in the majors after his surgery.
Luis Ayala, RHP, 2006
Ayala returned to the Nationals in 2007 and pitched in the majors through the 2013 season.
Jose Guillen, OF, 2006
Matt Chico, LHP, 2008
Jordan Zimmermann, RHP, 2009
The Nationals’ second-round pick in 2007 was named to two all-star teams and threw a no-hitter post-Tommy John. After the 2015 season, he became the first pitcher who underwent the procedure to sign a contract for at least $100 million. That deal hasn’t worked out too well for the Tigers.
Jack McGeary, LHP, 2010
Juan Jaime, RHP, 2010
Stephen Strasburg, RHP, 2010
Strasburg returned to throw 24 innings in 2011 and was an all-star in 2012 before the team shut him down in September with his long-term health in mind.
Justin Maxwell, OF, 2010
Koda Glover, RHP, 2011
The reliever, who is dealing with ‘severe’ rotator cuff inflammation this season, underwent Tommy John surgery in college.
A.J. Morris, RHP, 2011
Taylor Jordan, RHP, 2011
Andrew Lee, RHP, 2012
Matt Crownover, LHP, 2012
Sammy Solis, LHP, 2012
R.C. Orlan, LHP, 2012
Brigham Hill, RHP, 2012
Hill, who pitched at Texas A&M, was a fourth-round pick in this year’s draft.
Lucas Giolito, LHP, 2012
Giolito might’ve been the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 MLB draft out of high school if not for the strained elbow ligament he dealt with as a senior. The Nationals drafted him with the 16th pick of the first round and traded him to the White Sox as part of the package for Adam Eaton last winter.
Tommy Peterson, RHP, 2013
Spencer Kieboom, C, 2013
Matt Skole, 3B, 2013
Erik Davis, RHP, 2013
Matt Reistetter, C, 2014
Danny Rosenbaum, LHP, 2014
Matt Purke, LHP, 2014
Erick Fedde, RHP, 2014
Fedde had Tommy John surgery at UNLV before the Nationals selected him in the first round of the 2014 draft. He’s on an innings limit this year and was recently promoted to Class AAA Syracuse, where he’s working out of the bullpen.
Matt DeRosier, RHP, 2014
Wil Crowe, RHP, 2015
James Bourque, RHP, 2015
David Ramos, RHP, 2015
Aaron Barrett, RHP, 2015
Barrett broke his humerus while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery but is determined to make it back to the majors.
Jesus Luzardo, LHP, 2016
Taylor Jordan, RHP, 2016
Jordan underwent Tommy John surgery for the second time in five years and was subsequently released by the Nationals.
Ryan Williamson, RHP, 2016
Andrew Lee, RHP, 2016
Bryan Harper, LHP, 2016
Trey Turner, RHP, 2017
Not to be confused with Trea Turner, the Missouri State standout underwent Tommy John surgery in April.