Justin Steele Playing Catch, Could Return by Opening Day -

"In 2017, when I had my first Tommy John (surgery), they pulled the ligament out of my forearm and used that - so that was my new UCL. I remember relearning how to throw with the new hardware that was in my arm. That was the hardest part - the mental hurdle I had the first time. (Now) it's the same hardware, and it feels the same as five months ago, when I was throwing against the Rangers."

"Steele had previously undergone full UCL reconstruction, or Tommy John surgery a few years ago, but this latest procedure was the newer internal brace method. That typically leads to faster recovery by using two PEEK SwiveLock anchors loaded with collagen-coated FiberTape suture and a #0 FiberWire repair suture to reinforce, or brace, the repaired ligament. Due to the nature of the procedure, it's possible for athletes to return to their previous level of competition in under a year."

Justin Steele underwent season-ending UCL revision surgery with an internal brace and flexor tendon repair after four starts this season. He has begun playing catch and reported starting to throw after "ripping plyos into the wall" for weeks, indicating positive recovery progress. The internal brace technique uses PEEK SwiveLock anchors, collagen-coated FiberTape suture, and #0 FiberWire to reinforce the repaired ligament and generally enables faster return timelines, sometimes under a year. Steele previously had full UCL reconstruction (Tommy John) in 2017, relearned to throw then, and reports less mental difficulty while ramping up toward Opening Day.

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