A Tommy John injury is an injury to the ligament on the medial (inside) part of the elbow. It most commonly occurs in overhead throwing athletes such as baseball pitchers and quarterbacks but can also occur in other sports such as gymnastics, javelin throwing, tennis, volleyball, and softball. The reason it is nicknamed the “Tommy John” injury is because he was the first baseball pitcher to have the surgery to fix the injury. This surgery was done in 1974 by Dr. Frank Jobe, a pioneer in sports medicine. After the surgery, he went on to play in the majors for another 15 years!