Pitcher Returns to MLB After Third Tommy John Surgery

Tejay Antone stood on the mound at Wrigley Field on Wednesday night, one of only three pitchers in baseball history to reach the majors after three Tommy John surgeries. When he struck out his final batter to complete a perfect eighth inning, the 32-year-old walked off the field with tears streaming down his face.

The journey to that moment started with heartbreak in April 2024, when Antone's elbow gave out again while facing the Mets. It was his third torn ulnar collateral ligament, requiring his third reconstruction surgery on the same arm. Only two other pitchers, Jonny Venters and Jason Isringhausen, had ever made it back from three such procedures.

"This was my last chance," Antone said after the game. "No one is going to sign a guy with four Tommy Johns, right?"

The Cincinnati Reds didn't even add him to their 40-man roster when they re-signed him last November. He showed up to spring training as a non-roster invite and got cut. But Antone kept pitching anyway, posting a 2.25 ERA in 12 appearances with Triple-A Louisville, hoping someone would notice.

When closer Emilio Pagán went down with a hamstring injury Tuesday night, the Reds needed bullpen help. General manager Brad Meador and manager Terry Francona huddled in the manager's office late into the night, discussing options. They called Louisville, and the answer was unanimous: Antone had earned his shot.

Francona smiled when Antone walked into his office Wednesday morning. "On the heels of kind of a crappy night, seeing you walk through that door was kind of uplifting," the manager told him.

The pitcher Antone was in 2021 threw 100 mph fastballs. That version is gone forever, replaced by a reinvented pitcher who sits in the low-90s. He spent the offseason adding a sweeper and cutter to his arsenal, complementing the curveball he once called "Captain Hook."

Facing the heart of the Cubs order in the eighth inning, Antone struck out Alex Bregman, got Ian Happ to fly out deep to center, then froze Seiya Suzuki with a sweeper for strike three. The moment the umpire's arm went up, Antone knew what it meant.

"As soon as it left my fingers, it was like I knew I'd punched him out," he said. "I came into the dugout, huge congratulations from the teammates, and I walked to the end and it kind of hit me then. Couple of tears. I had to step away for a second."

Catcher Tyler Stephenson has been there for all of it. The two debuted an inning apart in 2020, and Stephenson watched his friend disappear into surgery and rehab three separate times. "It just shows a lot of who he is to go through the surgery three times and never giving up on the goal," Stephenson said.

Why This Inspires

Antone's story matters because it shows what's possible when someone refuses to accept that their dream is over. He could have walked away after the second surgery kept him sidelined for nearly three years. Instead, he reinvented himself, knowing the pitcher he used to be was gone but believing the pitcher he could become was worth fighting for.

Before taking the mound Wednesday, Antone stood near the first-base dugout at Wrigley Field, taking it all in. He recorded a video on his phone and sent it to his family. "It's been a long time," he said. "I'm excited to be back."

The story isn't over—it's just getting started again.