Beacon Orthopaedics Is Behind One of Baseball’s Most Improbable Comebacks

The New York Times just ran a piece on Cincinnati Reds reliever Tejay Antone — “Inside a Reds Reliever’s Improbable Return from 3 Tommy John Surgeries” — and it got a lot of attention. What the headline left out: all three of those surgeries happened right here at Beacon Orthopaedics in Sharonville, performed by Dr. Timothy Kremchek.

754 Days. Three Surgeries. One At-Bat.

On May 6, 2026, Antone walked out of the Wrigley Field bullpen and struck out Alex Bregman. That was it. 754 days after his last big-league appearance, he was back. The people in his corner knew exactly what that moment cost him to get to.

The Surgery

When Antone felt that familiar twinge in April 2024, he already knew what it meant. He came straight back to Beacon, and Dr. Kremchek operated on that right elbow for the third time.

Third-revision UCL reconstruction is rare. The scar tissue from two prior surgeries makes it significantly harder to work through than a first procedure. Dr. Kremchek uses the same incision line each time to limit additional scarring, but that kind of precision only comes from knowing a patient’s anatomy over many years.

When it was done, Dr. Kremchek came out to find Antone’s wife Kelsi. “I’ve got to tell you,” he said, “I’m pretty freakin’ happy with this.”

The Recovery

Two-plus years of rehab across Beacon’s facilities, his personal training complex in Fort Worth, and the Reds’ spring training site in Arizona. Along the way, he mentored injured players, wrote a book, and opened the OR to cameras, wanting to show other pitchers what this road looks like.

He also became a dad to twin sons, Niko and Kai, born last October.

“The only way to have my kids watch and be cognizant of what’s going on is to be older. Which means I have to pitch longer.”

What This Means If You’re Dealing with an Elbow Injury

Tommy John isn’t just a major-league problem. UCL injuries show up in youth baseball, tennis, and any sport with repeated overhead motion. And if you’re looking at a revision procedure, there aren’t many stories that show what’s possible.

Antone’s is one of them. Third procedures can work. If you have questions about UCL injuries or Tommy John surgery at any stage, we’re here.