Sports
UPDATE: Season Ends Before It Begins For Lindy’s Stuart
Matt Stuart to have Tommy John's surgery on Tuesday.
High School football begins next week. But , won't be on the field.
Stuart's Facebook page confirmed he will undergo Tommy John surgery next Tuesday at the UW Medical Center at Northgate. The procedure essentially ends Stuart's high school football career. Dr. Mitchel Storey, the Mariners team physician will conduct the surgery.
"Am still 100% committed to the team by being at practice and games." Stuart said late Thursday evening. "Am disappointed I can't play football, but if I went on to play football and baseball, I could potentially risk additional injury."
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Tommy John surgery, also known as ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction, is a surgical graft procedure in which a ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body (often from the forearm, hamstring, hip, knee, or foot of the patient). The procedure is common among collegiate and professional athletes in several sports, most notably baseball.
Junior Tyrell Shavers will replace Stuart at quarterback, according to Stuart. "He is able to run faster and throw the ball on the run." Stuart plans on being on the sidelines helping Shavers who has been Stuart's back-up for the last two seasons.
Find out what's happening in Rentonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
In three years as quarterback, Stuart threw for 4,268 yards and completed 268 out of 557 attempts; scoring 53 touchdowns.
Stuart is also on the school's baseball team where he was 5-1 in seven appearances with a 1.81 ERA and 39 strikeouts. He batted .482 with 27 hits and five home runs.
After surgery Stuart hopes he will be able to play baseball in the spring, first in the field and plans to pitch in the summer if all goes well.
Stuart's Facebook post said "Tommy John surgery set for Tuesday. I want to thank everyone who has been behind me and supported me during this. I am very thankful and feel very loved. I love all of you. Couldn't have done it without you."
Former Seattle Mariners pitcher Jamie Moyer also had Tommy Johns surgery in 2010. The surgery is expected to strengthen the elbow joint.
Patch will have complete previews of all three high school football teams next week before the start of the 2012 High School Football season.
