Reds' Fan-Favorite Returns to Mound After Three Tommy John Surgeries

It was April 7, 2024, when Tejay Antone left the game and immediately knew something was wrong...again. After throwing one pitch, he felt something in his elbow and an MRI revealed he had torn his flexor mass tendon completely off the bone and partially tore his UCL.

“Sunday was a very, very tough day for me," he told MLB.com's Mark Sheldon at the time. "There were other things that were going on outside of baseball, kind of some family issues. That, coupled with what happened on the field, was tough to swallow.

A few days later he underwent his third Tommy John surgery.

A year and a half later, Tejay Antone toed the rubber for the Dayton Dragons, his first inning in a professional game since he felt the pain in his elbow.

He did not give up a hit, walked a batter, and struck out a batter in his scoreless appearance in High-A Dayton on Tuesday night.

“When that [injury] happens, I want to be a resource for kids and a resource for other athletes going through it so they can come back stronger.”

Whether or not Antone ever steps onto a Major League mound again, his perseverance and determination will always stand as an inspiration.

There may have been 3 TJ's, but there's only one Tejay Antone 💚

Proud to be the first stop of 2025 for Tejay's inspiring story! pic.twitter.com/LTaTTfPEZ4
— Dayton Dragons (@DragonsBaseball) August 13, 2025