It’s a scorching summer day in July of 2023. Mason, 15, is at the pitcher’s mound. It’s the third inning of a national tournament game and the stakes are high, but he’s calm and focused. He sends a couple fast balls over home plate. Then, something changes. The velocity of his next few pitches drops more than 20 mph. His coach steps out onto the field, “What’s going on?”  

Before the game began, Mason had sensed something might be off. During warmup, a subtle pain was creeping into his left arm. That wasn’t normal. Now, the pain was sharp. It was taking him out of the game. 

“I was scared and nervous. I had an idea of what it was because a lot of pitchers go through it, but I was also worried because I had all these college recruiters there to watch me pitch,” said Mason. “When I got to the dugout, we all kind of knew what it was going to be.” 

A Tommy John elbow injury 

A Tommy John injury: the nickname for a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL). The UCL is tissue on the inner side of the elbow that keeps the elbow joint stable. Injuring it is common among athletes who make repetitive throwing motions at a high velocity — pitchers. Once known as a career-ending injury, its name comes from former Major League Baseball player Tommy John, who underwent the first successful surgery to repair it. 
 
Mason was taken to the Emergency Department at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) King of Prussia Campus. A pediatric emergency medicine physician ordered advanced imaging and a referral to Apurva S. Shah, MD, MBA, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at CHOP who specializes in pediatric hand and upper extremity surgery within the Sports Medicine and Performance Center. 

The Sports Medicine and Performance Center is part of CHOP’s nationally ranked Orthopedic Center and provides comprehensive sports injury care for children, teens and young adults at all levels of activity. The dedicated team understands the nuances of caring for growing bodies, offering the most advanced diagnostic and imaging tools, expert surgical teams, injury rehabilitation, performance-enhancing training and nutritional counseling. 

Recovery after reconstructive elbow surgery 

With the help of his parents, Mason made the decision to schedule reconstructive elbow surgery with Dr. Shah, often called Tommy John surgery. Following the successful procedure to reconstruct his UCL, Mason’s recovery began. Determined to get back on the field, he worked hard through his physical therapy program, but he never stopped wondering if he would ever pitch again. 

“That was a question I asked myself so many times. During a recovery, you'll have your good days and your bad days,” said Mason. “But on the bad days, you need to look at the positive parts of it. Look at what you can improve for your good days. For me, it was more of a mental struggle than a physical struggle. It’s hard to process what you’re going through, but if you have the right people around you and you keep a positive mindset, it gets easier.” 

A few months following his surgery, Mason was experiencing nerve irritation that required a second minor procedure. Dr. Shah performed another surgery and just weeks later, he was cleared to slowly start pitching again. Within months, he’d made a full recovery. 

Mason is grateful to Dr. Shah and the CHOP care team. “He’s one of the best doctors I've ever had, and his team was just great,” said Mason. “My parents and I had so many questions and they answered all of them, in full detail. I couldn’t have asked for a better team of people.” 

Going on to play college baseball 

Now at 18, Mason is a left-handed collegiate pitcher reaching throwing speeds in the high eighties and low nineties (mph). He trains every single day, preparing himself for the opportunity to play professionally. 

“I have no pain, no fatigue. It’s unbelievable. I honestly did not think I would be where I am now,” said Mason. “This whole experience made me a different person. It made me realize that if I want this, I really need to put in the work. It’s important to keep working hard because you don’t ever want to think, ‘What if I had worked harder?’ You don’t want to live not knowing you gave it your all.” 

From Mason’s perspective, with enough hard work and focus, anything is possible. Maybe one day soon, thousands of fans will be cheering his name from the stands.