What is the success rate on Tommy John surgery?
The odds are generally estimated between 85 and and 90 percent, with many pitchers coming back to perform better than before they had the surgery. Chris Carpenter, who pitched for the Cardinals last night, was the Cy Young Award runner-up last year after having the operation done in 2007. Yankees pitcher A.J. Burnett also had the surgery done and received two multi-year free agent deals after the operation. The Braves’ Tim Hudson – a Cy Young candidate this year – has had it done, as has teammate Billy Wagner. Marlins pitcher Josh Johnson, one of the game’s top young hurlers, has also had it. And Nationals pitcher Jordan Zimmermann, who had the operation last August, made his return to the majors for the team last night. Essentially, there’s a high probability Strasburg will return and pitch as well, if not better, than he did before. It’s just going to be a long wait for him to return.
