Statcast-based evaluation of postoperative performance in Major League Baseball position players following ulnar collateral ligament surgery: a retrospective case-control study

MLB position players return to competition at a high rate following UCL surgery. Among those who return, Statcast-derived offensive and defensive metrics demonstrate that postoperative changes in performance are minimal and statistically insignificant. Interestingly, catchers demonstrated paradoxical improvements in both postoperative average exit velocity and hard-hit percentage. Level of evidence: III.