Jack Patterson – Picture by Todd Johnson

For pitcher Jack Patterson, he finally returned to professional baseball after missing the last three seasons. The Cubs 2019 Minor League Pitcher of the Year was thought to be about Major League ready after that season in which he zoomed through three levels of baseball with a 1.69 ERA in 24 games, nine of which he started. He struck out 80 in 79.2 innings and opponents could only muster a batting average against of .176. Unfortunately, Patterson did not pitch in a game that mattered from 2019 until 2 weeks ago.

Right now, just pitching in one game probably already makes him the Cubs Comeback Player of the Year. However, Jack is probably not interested in that plaudit. 

With a support system that included his parents, Wayne and Kelly, and his girlfriend, Keeley, Patterson has gone through 2 Tommy John surgeries and 2 rehabs to get back on the mound. Patterson has his sights set on staying healthy this year and is still chasing his dream of playing in the majors.

So far, Patterson has thrown in 2 games in Myrtle Beach and 3 with South Bend. His breaking pitches look sharp and vicious, the velocity is close to what it was before but the location is not quite there yet but it is getting better with every outing.

Patterson’s rehab process for the second surgery is now close to an end. One of the most interesting aspects of the second surgery was that his rebuilt elbow is fitted with an internal UCL brace.

I sat down and talked with Jack about where he’s at right now in his comeback as well as the brace.. 

TJ: So what all is involved with that internal brace? What does it do?

JP: It acts as a protective barrier for the newly repaired UCL to give it more strength, more protection. I like to think of it as a second UCL in there. It’s almost taking the brunt of the force from throwing the baseball while protecting the new UCL

TJ: Is that gonna be a permanent feature?

JP: Yeah, it’s there forever now.

TJ: So when did everything come together in this rehab that made you realize it was a lot different from the first rehab?

JP: A lot of it was just going through the throwing program again and getting back into my bullpens. My first rehab process felt like every time I had to go to a new milestone and increase my intensity in my throwing program, I would always get shut down. I would always immediately lose range of motion and be in discomfort for the rest of the day. I wouldn’t be able to do any baseball activities. 

So the biggest difference in the second rehab process was the amount of times I did not get shut down and kept going through my program to ultimately get back out to games.

TJ: At what point did you realize you were going to make it back to playing baseball?

JP: Once I got the surgery again for the second time, I knew just in my head. I just kind of had faith that this was going to work and this was going to be the one. I tried to tell myself that every day. It’s a lot easier said than done. I had a lot of tough days just believing in this whole process again and going through it. I tried to keep telling myself that this was going to work and I was going to be alright.

TJ: What kind mental support structure did you have that helped you through this?

JP: My girlfriend, Keeley, and my parents and some friends back home helped me going through the rehab process. They were always checking in with me. My girlfriend Keeley came out and lived with me for basically the whole last off-season. Just everyone around me in my circle always kept picking me up and believing in me in this process. It’s been awesome!

I got a whole crew of about 5 to 6 people who put Cubs gear on every morning and watch me from afar. They made it a lot easier.

TJ: What kind of nerves did you have that first night in Myrtle Beach?

JP: There were a lot of emotions, feelings that I haven’t really experienced in a long time. I’d like to say it was just like riding a bike, it wasn’t. There was a lot going on and a lot to process. At the end of the day, I walked off the mound feeling super great. I was just happy to get a chance to play again.

TJ: When I saw your slider the other day, I thought it looked really crisp and it had a nice break, nice and sharp. Do you think you’re really close to where you were in 2019?

JP: From a shape standpoint, and from a breaking ball standpoint, I’m right there, maybe even better; definitely the curveball and slider. I am getting a lot more action than I have been used to. For me, the velocity might be a mile down from what it was in 2019 but from everything I’ve been told, when you come back from Tommy John, you end up throwing harder. I think that’s true, but it takes a lot more time than people realize. In going through this process and talking to so many other people who have gone through this, I think it does come back, I just think it takes time. I’ve always been told it comes back in two years. I am coming up on that mark. I have to keep sticking with it and trusting it. I just keep going out there every chance I can, feeling healthy and believing that the velocity and the command will come back the more I throw when the weather heats up and just keep feeling good.

Currently, Jack has no timetable in his rehab. When the Cubs deem him ready for Tennessee, then he will move up. He’s getting closer every outing. Last night saw him look great in the 8th and struggle in the ninth during a rainstorm, but the slider was working in the eighth. You can tell the command of his pitches is not quite there but it is getting there. Patience is needed for a while for that to happen.

Overall, Jack’s story is a fantastic one. Mere mortals would have probably given up by now. I cannot imagine not pitching for four years and still having the wherewithal to continue to follow the dream. 

For Jack Patterson, he’s just built differently. In fact, he’s been rebuilt twice and he still has that drive to succeed. I am looking forward to seeing him try and get there!