How long will Jacob deGrom be out after Tommy John surgery?

Rangers ace Jacob deGrom will undergo Tommy John surgery for the second time in his career. Realistically, when can fans expect him back on the field?

The Texas Rangers saw this coming. Everybody did.

After signing Jacob deGrom to a five-year, $185 million deal in free agency, the Rangers are seeing their shiny new investment fall apart right in front of their eyes. DeGrom, who hasn’t pitched since April 28 due to injury concerns, was moved to the 60-day injured list on Monday.

One day later, a follow-up MRI revealed that deGrom had a partial tear in his ulnar collateral ligament and that he would need to undergo Tommy John surgery — the second one of his career. DeGrom first underwent the procedure in his rookie year in 2010.

In deGrom’s final years with the New York Mets, he was hobbled by various injuries limiting him to 92 innings worth of work in 2021 and 64 innings in 2022.

This season, deGrom has been slowly building himself back up to his Cy Young-winning form. The ace recorded a 2.67 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 30 1/3 innings in 2023 and helped the Rangers win every game he’s started in.

Yet in the wake of his harrowing injury setback, the Rangers’ decision to take a calculated risk on deGrom is turning into their worst nightmare. Now, the club’s mindset may be: It only gets better from here. But does it?

Tommy John recovery time: How long will Jacob deGrom be out?

Per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News, deGrom’s recovery timeline is lengthy. DeGrom will be out for at least 12 months, setting his return date for somewhere in the middle of the 2024 calendar year.

What is Tommy John surgery?

Tommy John surgery, also known as UCL reconstruction, is a procedure designed to repair a player’s torn UCL.

The UCL, or ulnar collateral ligament, is a ligament on the inner side of the elbow that provides stability to the elbow joint, supporting the elbow in certain actions such as throwing. Repeated stress on the ligament can lead to a partial or full tear and thus require Tommy John surgery.

The surgery involves a graft procedure: a tendon from elsewhere in the patient’s body is used to replace the torn UCL to reduce pain and restore the elbow’s full range of motion.

It’s called “Tommy John surgery” because the procedure was first performed on pitcher Tommy John in 1974, and in the modern era it’s since become a relatively common surgery in baseball.

Just like with any other surgery, the procedure comes with its own share of risks. For deGrom, undergoing his second Tommy John surgery at age 35 doesn’t bode well for the rest of his career.

Here’s hoping Jacob deGrom beats the odds and makes a swift and full recovery.