GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Two Tommy John surgeries on his right elbow, rehab, setbacks and missing two entire seasons have made Reds reliever Tejay Antone something of an authority on arm care. .
“It's with great care that I go through two surgeries. I always joke that for all I know, I think I can run someone else's rehabilitation program. ,” Anton said.
Antone co-owns and operates Koba Sports, a baseball performance gym located in Alvarado, Texas. He can talk about tendons, muscle fibers, tissue, daily recovery work, etc.
While rehabbing at the Reds' Arizona complex, Anton provided leadership in rehabilitating teammates and minor leaguers. And of course he knows something about pitching.
“I try to give everyone advice on things that have worked for them,” he said. “I just pay attention. I ask a lot of questions. I'm interested in the human body and helping people.”
In spring training, Anton has been helping himself, trying to prove that he can pitch at his best while staying healthy.
Both will be key to building the team's bullpen. His ERA of 10.13 through three games doesn't look very good, but the sample size of his 2/3 innings is small. In Monday's 15-8 win over the Athletics, in the fifth inning trailing by two runs, Anton was on the mound when Jake Fraley erroneously threw Ryan Noda's fly ball to right field, resulting in a two-out double and a triple. The door opened.
“If Teejay is healthy, Teejay is going to pitch,” pitching coach Derek Johnson said recently. “He's proven every time he's been in the big leagues that he's capable, if not elite in some cases.”For us, if we can keep Teejay healthy throughout this turmoil; He will be an important part of our club. For me, it's really simple. ”
Anton, 30, underwent Tommy John surgery in 2017, the first minor leaguer to undergo surgery. He underwent a second surgery in August 2021, ruining a sensational season in which he had a 2.14 ERA and 0.89 WHIP in 23 games. The right-handed pitcher often threw in the low 90s mph, but achieved his personal goal of reaching 160 mph with his fastball.
He lost the 2022 season to rehab and suffered another setback just before spring training in 2023 when he suffered a torn forearm flexor muscle. Although it meant further time away from the club to rehab, he eventually returned to the majors on September 2.
On September 13, Antone left the game with elbow discomfort, missing the final two weeks of the season in contention for the club. He was diagnosed with tendonitis and finished the season after five games (1.59 ERA).
“It's incredibly frustrating,” Anton said. I got to Triple-A and I was feeling good. I was getting back into the swing of things. It was the first time in two years that he pitched. I made good adjustments and went to the big leagues. It was frustrating to have just a little bit of inflammation after all that work. Then, “Let's just stop.” …I think that was the best decision. ”
This spring, Anton is no longer trying to reach triple-digit velocity to overwhelm hitters. His fastball is in the 91-95 mph range, and he also has a curveball and slider.
But most importantly, his arms feel good.
“My goal now is to live a long life,” Anton said. “I'm becoming more of a pitcher than a pitcher. That's been one of my big focuses this year: How can I get into a position where I can execute my pitches well and stay healthy?”
Antone's biggest spring test — which could determine whether he starts the season in the big leagues — will be whether he can pitch every day and recover well.
That's normal for most major league relievers. If Anton is not ready with his arm, he is going to communicate honestly with the team.
“I think they respect that. I think they understand that I'm still working towards that as April starts,” Anton said. I think they have a long-term vision for me this entire season, as opposed to, “No, I have to be ready by opening day.” They want me to be there until the end of the season and stay healthy all year long. ”
If deemed ready, Anton knows he will have to remain competitive to avoid falling in important matches. His goal is not just to pitch well, but to avoid spending the entire season on the disabled list.
“I think not being on the IL for a whole year is going to be a huge check mark. It's going to be, 'Okay, we did it, now we're back to normal,'” Anton said.
