C.J. Growney: The Return from Tommy John

By AUSTIN UNGLAUB

Chris “C.J.” Growney was one of the top pitching recruits in the state of New Jersey coming out of high school in 2015. The Colonia High School graduate and Avenel native, was the ace of his pitching staff and earned first-team all Middlesex County honors as a senior.

When he first came to Ramapo College,  he had an instant impact in the team’s success. As a freshman he earned a 4-0 record on the mound which was the second most wins on the team. He was third on the team with and earned run average of just 2.45.

Growney, was one of the most feared pitchers in the entire New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC). He received the “NJAC Pitcher of the Week” award two separate times in his rookie campaign.   

But in June of 2017,  Growney’s life and baseball career changed forever.  As he was warming up and getting ready for his first start of the summer season, he knew something was wrong. “I threw a pitch and was in immediate pain. My right arm was tingling from my elbow to my ring finger. I knew this wasn’t good,” Growney said, 20. He then went over to his coach and told him what had happened. His coach took him out of the lineup and told him to go get it checked out. 

“When I first felt the pain I was optimistic and really was hoping it was just a strain,” Growney said.  But he was wrong. What actually had occurred was a tear of the Ulnar Collateral Ligament or better known as the UCL. The average recovery time for this injury is anywhere from 10-15 months depending on the person.

“I was heartbroken when I found out that I needed Tommy John surgery. I knew that it is such a serious injury and the recovery time is very long,” Growney said. However, according to Marissa Payne of the Chicago Tribune, the success rate for MLB pitchers fully recovering from this injury is 85 percent. “Baseball is my true love. There is nothing I enjoy more than putting on my uniform and being able to go out there and compete with my teammates,” Growney said. He knew that if he wanted to be able to successfully recover from this injury he would need to get the surgery sooner rather than later. 

The History of Tommy John

The first Tommy John surgery was conducted by Dr. Frank Jobe on September 25, 1974. The recipient of the surgery was Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Thomas John, or better known as Tommy John. This was a breakthrough surgery that changed the playing careers of baseball players forever. Before this surgery was discovered, players’ careers were over when they tore their UCL. Now, there are about 30 Tommy John surgeries conducted every year just on MLB players with an average of 25 of them returning to the field. 

(Below is a video of Dr. James Andrews talking about Tommy John surgery)

One of the most famous pitchers to go through this surgery was New York Mets pitcher, Matt Harvey. Harvey was a first round draft pick by the Mets in 2010 and made his MLB debut in July of 2012. His best statistical season came in 2013. He had an era of 2.27 and recorded 191 strikeouts in 178.1 innings. At the conclusion of that season he was experiencing slight pain in his elbow. Upon getting an MRI he too found out that he had torn his UCL and Tommy John surgery was required. Harvey got his surgery on October 22, 2013. After taking the entire 2014 season to rehab from the injury, he was set to take the field on opening day in 2015. After a solid 2015 season, all was looking good for Harvey’s future. However, since then he has only won nine games on the mound and has recently been demoted as a starting pitcher for a relief pitcher role.

Growney’s Impact on Teammates and Coaches

Head Coach Travis Zilg is in his first season as the head coach of the Ramapo College baseball team. He has spent the three previous season as the head pitching coach. He personally recruited Growney and has developed a very good personal relationship with him.

“When C.J. called me and told me that he needed to get surgery I was crushed for him. I know how hard he works and how much baseball means to him,” Zilg said. “Not having him on the team this year has certainly hurt us, however it has required multiple players to step up to be able to fill his role.”

The Surgery 

After he received  different opinions regarding the injury, he officially decided that surgery was the best route to take.

“I decided to get the surgery about a month after the injury first had occurred,” Growney said. On the morning of July 28, 2017, he went to Surgicare of Manhattan to meet with Dr. Stephen Nicholas. Nicholas would be the one to conduct the 90 minute surgery Growney was going to go through. After the conclusion of the surgery the big question now was if and when he could return playing the sport he loves. The doctor confirmed that the surgery was indeed successful and in about four months he could begin rehab. “Once the surgery was over I was already counting down the days to when I could start throwing again,” Growney said.

Growney’s rehabilitation throwing program consisted of starting throwing at 45 feet and going up in 15 foot intervals until he eventually reached his max distance of 180 feet. This was a vital six-week program that must be done before throwing off the mound for the first time. When he concluded this, he was ready to throw off the mound for the first time.

“I was definitely nervous throwing off the mound for the first time. I really didn’t know what to expect my arm to feel like and I wasn’t sure what my velocity was going to be,” Growney said.

The Return

Growney is set to return July 2018 when he will return to the Staten Island Tide for summer baseball. At this time he will be 100% cleared to throw in a game. His plan is to pitch no more than 20 innings.

“I want to get the feel for pitching in a game back but I need to be smart about this. I don’t want to risk anything,” said Growney.

He will then pitch a little more in the Fall of 2018 when he returns to Ramapo to enter his senior season.

“I cannot wait to see C.J. back on the mound. I know he has worked incredibly hard to get back and he deserves everything that he has worked for,” said first baseman Connor Walsh, a senior. Walsh played with Growney for two seasons. Even though Walsh will graduate and not be a member of the team next year, it is clear how big Growney’s impact has been. 

“I have all the confidence in the world putting the ball in CJ’s hand. He has proved that he can handle any situation and shine under pressure,” Zilg said.

Growney’s addition next year will only add to a completely stacked pitching rotation that the Roadrunners have this year. They currently have a team earned run average of 3.21 which ranks 19th in the country and 327 team strikeouts which ranks sixth in the country. Growney’s career 3.00 earned run average and 68 career strikeouts will certainly help the team next year.

“We are only graduating one pitcher from our rotation this year. Having this staff and then adding Growney back to it will be lethal,” Zilg said.

Growney continues to do all that he can do stay healthy and get back on the field when next season comes around. He will stick to the strict throwing program he has and stretch as much as possible to reduce tightness. This is a very serious injury and requires an extensive recovery process. Thanks to the support from his teammates and family Growney has been able to stay positive during this time and focus on getting back to baseball shape.