Athlete Interviews are posted every Thursday for recruiting advice, what to look for, and more.
Sean Burke, a 2021 MLB Draft pick by the Chicago White Sox, and former starting pitcher for Maryland, joined me to discuss how Tommy John surgery (ulnar collateral ligament, or UCL, reconstruction) affected him and how he overcame all the adversity it brought. Burke underwent the procedure the year before he enrolled at Maryland, meaning he took a redshirt year before getting on the mound in his sophomore academic year. So how did he make it so far in spite of this massive setback? Here are his answers.
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Tommy John Surgery?
The first question you may have is, “What is Tommy John surgery?” As Burke says, “Basically what I tore is the ACL of the elbow.” Tommy John surgery repairs the UCL ligament in the elbow, which Burke tore when he was throwing a slider pitch during a high school game.
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The Recovery Process
As is common with most major injuries, Burke admitted that it took him some time to get back to a place in which he was confident in his ability to pitch. He says, “I actually pitched really really bad that whole fall (his first in-game action post injury) and the whole preseason. I pitched awful for the first three months when I was back.” However, once he regained his confidence and his abilities, Burke says he feels more dominant after recovering from his surgery. The White Sox player says his fastball reaches up to 95 miles per hour now.
While recovering away from the sport he loved, Burke tried to stay positive about the whole situation. When asked if he ever had doubts about his baseball career due to the injury, he responded, “That never really creeped into my mind. I tried to stay positive throughout the whole thing. I understood that if I trust the rehab process and the doctors and the trainers, then everything would turn out well.”
Related: What Athletes Should Know About Post-Injury Depression
The End Goal
All in all, Burke stayed true to the sport he loved and overcame one of the most devastating injuries a baseball player can face. Through all the adversity he was dealt, Burke went on to be the ace starting pitcher at Maryland, and after two strong years there, he entered his name into the 2021 MLB Draft. And the rest is history.
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Follow along with Burke's journey: Instagram: @smburkey and Twitter: @TopShelfBurkey
Image Source: Twitter
* Originally published on May 5, 2022, by Ashton Grenon
