Zack Wheeler Opts for Tommy John, Mets Pitcher Admits He ‘Cried a Little Bit’ After Learning of Fate

Daily News—March 20, 2015

Zack Wheeler said he “cried a little bit” after finding out he had a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow but he had no regrets over the way the Mets handled his injury.

The hard-throwing righthander had been experiencing pain in the joint, but on Monday, when Mets team doctor Dr. David Altchek informed him on a conference call that the ligament was torn and his season was over, he was overcome with emotion.

The 24-year-old confirmed on Friday that he will have Tommy John surgery next week. In addition to replacing the ligament, the procedure will fix a partially torn tendon that was the cause of Wheeler’s worsening elbow pain last season, and remove a calcium deposit.

Altchek will perform it in New York, with Wheeler targeting a return in June of next season.

"Every guy that throws hard is eventually going to have it more than likely," said Wheeler. "More than likely the guys who throw hard, the long and lanky guys, the body isn’t meant to move in that motion. ... So I guess I am glad it happened now and I can recover better."

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