Back on the Bump: Concordia Lutheran’s Traeger pitches for first time since Tommy John surgery
HOUSTON - Jax Traeger had always planned to pitch again in 2022.
It was his senior year. It would also be the final high school season that he would get to play with battery-mate and younger brother Nolan at Concordia Lutheran.
But in June of 2021, the TCU-signee underwent Tommy John surgery on his right pitching arm, which usually takes about a year to fully recover from.
On April 14, roughly just 10 months removed from surgery, Jax walked onto the mound at St. John XXIII with Nolan set up behind the dish ready to receive.
“I was so relieved to finally be at the end of my rehab and have another chance to pitch with my team,” Jax said. “My doctors, trainers, coaches, and teammates made it possible for me to get back out there safely and I couldn’t be more thankful.”
Paired with some natural nerves, the adrenaline started coursing through his veins.
Jax went to work, pitching a perfect inning for a save, registering three strikeouts and topping out on the radar gun at 89-miles-per-hour.
As he walked off the mound with the final strikeout in the books, Nolan in his full catcher’s gear hopped and skipped with excitement over to Jax and embraced him, followed by the rest of the Concordia Lutheran team.
“I am never not going to cherish having Nolan behind the plate when I throw,” Jax said. “He’s a big reason for my motivation to pitch again.”
Jax on the bump for the 1st time in almost a year, gets the save with K#3 of the inning on a nasty breaking ball…w/ little bro behind the dish! (1IP, 3K & extra adrenaline, sat 87-89)! @JaxTraeger@nolan_traeger@PSTxHSBaseball@PBR_Texas@DustinLMcComas@TCU_Baseballpic.twitter.com/HUmfDkilvg
— Jim Traeger (@txtraeger) April 15, 2022
After the game, another photo was taken of Jax. This one of his embracing his mother Erin with his face buried into her shoulder while holding his red-clay-stained cleats in his right hand.
“My mom is amazing, and I am so blessed to have her to help me walk through everything after surgery,” Jax said. “She is always so happy to see me succeed.”
As the 2022 season ends in the next month, also meaning the sun setting on Jax’s high school career, the future TCU Horned Frog is ready to cleat into that rubber again whenever his name gets called.
“I’m so ready to start going again and to extend my outings a little more,” he said.
This is what it’s all about, all of the excitement and emotion of Jax realizing his goal of getting back on the mound in his senior year in the arms of his Mama! What a blessing from God to know that this is just the beginning. @JaxTraeger @clhstxathletics @ pic.twitter.com/NWwGC3SBCw
— Jim Traeger (@txtraeger) April 15, 2022
