BSB | "Nothing's Changed" - Valdez Returns From Tommy John

Jake Valdez made his first appearance since 2015 on Feb. 19 after returning from Tommy John surgery.MORAGA, Calif. — Jake Valdez is the most tenured person wearing a Saint Mary’s baseball uniform, including the coaching staff. He’s a fifth year senior competing in his perfect scenario—a Division I pitcher. But during the historic run last season, where the Gaels reached heights the program had never seen, all Valdez could do is watch.

A nightmarish name attached to a potentially career ending reality: Tommy John. The surgery Valdez received, which targets the ulnar collateral ligament, is devastatingly common amongst high-level pitchers. It’s slashing through baseball at a rate greater than…