Yankees' Michael King Begins Throwing For First Time Since Elbow Injury

King, who fractured his throwing elbow and required surgery in July, previously said his goal is to not miss time in 2023.

When Michael King first underwent surgery for a stress fracture in his throwing elbow in July, the Yankees right-hander wrote down all the things he could not do.

A meticulous notetaker, King’s list included touching his shoulder and run-of-the-mill tasks such as brushing his air and putting on a backpack.

“There were so many things that I couldn’t do because I didn’t have the range of motion,” King explained in late September when he found out he didn’t also need Tommy John surgery.

The point was to cross out each task once King regained the ability to do them, giving him “little victories” that symbolized the progress he made. Back in September, King had crossed off every item on his list, except for the last one: “throw a baseball.” His goal was to do so between the end of October and the end of November.

On Monday, King shared that he had completed his to-do list, posting a video of himself throwing on Instagram.

In September, King expected to have a fairly normal offseason. He said he usually takes November off from lifting and throwing, but starting a bit sooner will let him build up needed arm strength.

“Because I’m coming off surgery, I need a little extra love and care,” he said.

King was enjoying a breakout year before the fracture, which he suffered during a game against the Orioles on July 22. The 27-year-old established himself as a flexible and pivotal piece in New York’s bullpen, recording a 2.29 ERA and 1.7 fWAR over 51 frames and 34 games. A multi-inning threat, King struck out 33.2 percent of the batters he faced.

Naturally, he wants to pick up where he left off in 2023. But King’s “ultimate goal” is to not miss any time next year. With throwing underway, his plan is on schedule.

“It sucks that I had to miss the rest of this year,” King said, “but it gave me almost a comfortable mindset knowing that I have ample time to get back for next year.” 

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