John Means Missing Field, But Feeling Positive After Tommy John Surgery
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Orioles ace John Means was hopeful for a strong 2022 campaign, but those hopes fell by the wayside after Means suffered an elbow injury leading to Tommy John surgery in late April.
Means has been spotted around Camden Yards the last couple of days with a brace on his left elbow.
"Honestly, it's going better than it's supposed to be," Means told WJZ. "My range, they said I'm way ahead of schedule. 3 weeks in, we got 12 months to go so little victories here and there. But no, it feels good."
Being out for a year isn't something most athletes are prepared to deal with, and Means is no exception.
"It's more difficult than I thought it was going to be, tough watching games and that sorta thing," Means said. "You just wanna be there, you know good, bad, whatever it is. You wanna be there for your team, you know, be a part of it. So that parts been hard but you know I'm getting used to it, I'm gonna come back as much as I possibly can to be around the guys."
Just 3 weeks out from Tommy John surgery, @JMeans25 is at Camden Yards and updated the media on his progress, how he's staying close to the team and why he brought back the mustache. @MarkWJZ has more live from Camden Yards on @wjz at 6! #Orioles #Birdland pic.twitter.com/n3zOUmHiYP
— WJZ Sports (@WJZ13sports) May 18, 2022
Means has gotten plenty of advice from guys who have dealt with the surgery and rehab, saying they have all passed along the same message. "The tough part is the mental side of it, and it's a marathon, not a sprint."
As for how he plans to spend his time outside of rehab, workouts and supporting his teammates, Means says chasing his young son around will keep him very busy.
"That's been the best part let me tell ya," he said. "He's swinging off the tee now and he's running around constantly so I'm getting my workout in chasing him around the living room and kitchen trying to keep his hands off the oven and microwave."