Tejay Antone is back, and he's not just returning to the mound—he's stepping into baseball history.
The Cincinnati Reds reliever, who hasn't pitched in a big-league game since April 7, 2024, is set to become just the third pitcher in MLB history to return to the majors after a third Tommy John surgery. The other two? Jonny Venters and Jason Isringhausen. That's rarefied air.
"This is my last chance. No one's going to sign a guy with four Tommy Johns, right?" Antone said with a mix of humor and honesty. At 32, with a beard showing hints of gray, he carries the weight of perspective that only a three-time elbow reconstruction can bring.
Reds manager Terry Francona couldn't hide his emotions when Antone walked into the clubhouse at Wrigley Field. "He walked in, and I said, 'On the heels of a sh—-y night, seeing you walk through the door was kind of uplifting,'" Francona recalled. "It's good for him. I hope it's really good for us. But that's a pretty cool story."
That "sh—-y night" Francona referenced? It involved a tough loss compounded by an injury to his closer. That meant a late night at the ballpark for Francona and general manager Brad Meador, working through roster moves—including shifting left-hander Brandon Williamson to the 60-day injured list with shoulder fatigue to open a spot for Antone.
For Antone, the journey back has been long and grueling. His last regular-season appearance ended after just one pitch—a catastrophic elbow injury that marked his third such setback. But now he's back, taking time before pregame work to soak it all in, strolling the iconic Wrigley Field with his iPhone raised, recording the moment for his family.
"Took a little recording, sent it to my family," he said, his voice catching. "Wrigley's a really cool ballpark, really iconic, and it's really cool to be back. It's been a long time. And I'm excited to do it. Excited to be back."
When healthy, Antone has shown he can be a difference-maker, posting a career 2.47 ERA over 76 2/3 innings. Now, wearing the Reds uniform again, he's not just a comeback story—he's a testament to resilience. And for a team looking for a spark, his arrival might be exactly what the clubhouse needs.