Three elbow surgeries later, Antone eyes his biggest comeback yet 

On April 7, 2024, one pitch into the sixth inning, Tejay Antone walked off the Great American Ball Park mound with his head down after experiencing an all too familiar feeling in his right elbow.

He already knew, but it was confirmed shortly after that Antone would need to undergo Tommy John surgery -- again.

The surgery, which reconstructs a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), was his third to date (2017, 2021). For most athletes, that devastating setback would have been the final blow. But over 500 days after Tejay Antone exited that game against the New York Mets, the right-hander’s infectious positivity and relentless work ethic have him striving for a return to the Majors.

Captain Hook, as he’s affectionately known due to his knee-buckling curveball, returned to the mound this summer with three of the Reds’ affiliates, starting with the High-A Dayton Dragons in early August. He joined Double-A Chattanooga at the end of the month and finished the season with Triple-A Louisville.

Through his recovery process, Antone has emphasized that he wants to “be where his feet are at.”

“In rehab, I think [the goals are] easy because you have your task to accomplish that day, whether it be a long toss or the bullpen. It could be a recovery day, and you just execute that day to the best of your abilities,” Antone said.

“I had a good mentality of ‘just execute today and just repeat that process.’ When I got back to the affiliates, I started to get that ‘what's next?’ mentality. I quickly had to keep reminding myself to just get the guy out in front of me. It doesn't matter if he's a High-A player, a Double-A player or a Triple-A player. Whoever is standing in the box across from me, I have to get him out. Then it boils down to ‘just win this pitch’ or ‘throw a good pitch here.’ It's not a super easy mentality to have, but it's a practice mentality, and that's where I'm trying to be through the remainder of this season.”

Before joining Dayton, the right-hander notched a few outings in the Arizona Complex League. The stop proved helpful for Antone, as the ACL allowed him to have a schedule that was formed around him, giving the 31-year-old the necessary time to prepare for his return to the higher affiliates’ team-based schedule.

Across his three Minor League stops, Antone pitched a total of 15 innings, collecting 15 strikeouts in the process. Even with some unfavorable numbers toward the end of his comeback season, the Oklahoma City native has reminded himself that he’s felt good and that it takes time to return to form.

History is against Antone, as there’s only been one pitcher that has officially returned to the MLB after a trio of Tommy John surgeries (Jonny Venters). Even with the odds stacked against him, the former fifth-round selection in the 2014 Draft hasn’t wavered from his positive mentality.

“The list of who’s had three Tommy Johns, let alone three elbow surgeries, and made it back to the big leagues is short,” Antone said. “There's that part of it that’s like, ‘man, I want to be another one that's on that list.’ It’s not only for myself, but just for the people who are watching me who and are encouraging me to know that whatever life throws at you, there is a way through it.”

Going home after his injury in 2024, Antone was ready to call it quits. He had plans to talk to then Reds manager David Bell about moving into a coaching role before he spoke with orthopedic surgeon Dr. Tim Kremchek, the team’s former head physician and current medical consultant.

Kremchek encouraged Antone not to make any major decisions, while suggesting he undergo the third surgery and see what happens with it. With this procedure being his third, Antone knew what to expect and had no panic about it.

“It gets easier," he said. "The first time I had it, I was freaking out. I didn't know what to expect. I think it gave me experience where going into it the second time, I knew exactly what to expect. Then going into the third time, it was unfortunate, but this is second nature at this point. I knew that Kremchek’s team was going to take care of me. I knew the routine. It was the same surgery center, it was the same situation and it was the same rehab. I almost had less fear going into the third surgery versus the first one because I just had more experience.”

From the get-go, Antone has been down to earth about what he’s facing. After his first injury, his mother called him in tears. The pitcher recalled offering a realistic point of “it could be way worse,” highlighting that it was just his elbow. That thought process is unchanged, with him believing that it allows him to keep the pressure low and have the “freedom to not have fear” about it.

Throughout the healing and rehab process, he’s been open about his experience. He was featured in a limited documentary series from Beacon Orthopedic and Sports Medicine called “Hardball: Three Strikes, Not Out." He's also made appearances on The Jim Day Podcast, and stayed active on social media, creating content regarding pitching.

For Antone, his voyage into content creation has given him a way to give back. Any support or feedback makes the pitcher feel rewarded in his efforts to resonate with a younger population of pitchers. With an emphasis on Tommy John rehab and pitching, he hopes that his content shows those struggling with the same situation that it doesn’t mark the end, and that it’s “a tunnel that we're going through and we're going to go through this thing together.”

Getting back up to Triple-A with the Bats this season only reaffirmed how crucial this offseason is for Antone. With his lofty goals -- wanting to make an All-Star team and be one of the best pitchers in the league -- there’s no slowing down, even with his past injuries.

“It’s a little contrary to what you think the offseason looks like,” Antone said. “You’d think ‘He's had three Tommy Johns, maybe take some time off.’ My wife is pregnant with twin boys, so I get to be a dad this offseason. I'm very excited about that.

"I personally think I [still] have some work to do. I didn't have a ton of innings this year. I built up over the course of the year, built my arm back up and then I got some innings at the end of the year. I want to keep working on things, so I'm not going to take much time off, if any at all. I'm getting right back to the drawing board.”