Tommy John, the namesake for the elbow surgery many top MLB players have undergone, did not attend the New York Yankees‘ Old-Timers’ Day on Saturday as he shared a vague message about his health.
In a lengthy social media post released by the Yankees that did not detail an exact health issue, the 83-year-old John wrote that he wanted to say goodbye to everyone, along with all the friends and fans who followed him throughout his 26-year career, saying “I will never forget you.”
On this 78th Old-Timers’ Day, Tommy John shares a message to his fans, former teammates, and the Yankees organization as he battles health issues from his home in Bradenton, Florida. pic.twitter.com/3lKUWHoaw0
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 8, 2026
John has battled bladder cancer and other ailments in recent years, though it was unclear if any of them were related to his current health problems. The Yankees said he was at his home in Bradenton, Florida, where, according to Reuters, he was in hospice care.
John underwent elbow ligament replacement surgery in 1974 that was named after him and has been performed on numerous pitchers. He went on to pitch for 14 more years after the surgery.
“Thanks to Dr. Jobe, who saved my arm & made it possible for me to continue pitching,” John said. “That surgery has since gone on to save the careers of countless pitchers, including many of the very best in the game today.”
John was 288-231 with a 3.34 ERA in 760 career appearances. Besides eight seasons with the Yankees, for whom he won 91 games over two separate stints, John pitched for the White Sox, Dodgers, Angels, Guardians and Athletics.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
