June 10, 2025
Even a major injury couldn’t bring down Patrick Steitz’s expectations.
It might be because Patrick has become accustomed to facing and overcoming setbacks in his athletic career.
The right-handed pitcher was on the state high school champion team in Peoria, Arizona, in 2021. Despite being a top 10 prospect in the state, the COVID-19 pandemic led Patrick to Central Arizona College where he contributed to that team winning the 2022 National Junior College Athletic Association championship.
After 2 years, he transferred to the University of Kansas with high expectations of making a mark in Division 1 and trying to head to the major leagues. But as the season got started, Patrick started to notice unusual pain.
Dr. Key is the man. I really like listening to him talk. How he goes about his work. Instilling confidence in you when he’s talking. His technique is awesome." Patrick Steitz
After pitching in several games for the Jayhawks, Patrick noticed significant discomfort in his elbow. He wanted to write it off as a muscle strain, but when rest and rehab weren’t successful at getting back to full pitching, he got an MRI. It was an ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injury – also known as a Tommy John injury
With the diagnosis, Patrick says, “You realize you’re done for a certain amount of time and there’s nothing you can do about it.” So, he took a medical redshirt designation and headed to The University of Kansas Health System to meet with Vincent Key, MD.
Dr. Key is an orthopedic surgeon at the health system and the head team physician for the Kansas City Royals.
“He’s a very confident doctor,” Patrick says. “There was nothing scary or nervous. Nobody wants to end up having surgery, but he made it very easy.”
Dr. Key completed a UCL reconstruction utilizing a 3-strand palmaris longus tendon autograft with an inlay linear construct. Patrick returned to KU for rehab with the team’s athletic trainers. In the middle of rehab, Patrick went home to Arizona for the summer and got a special experience.
“I saw Dr. Key for one of my checkups in Arizona at the Royals facility in Surprise,” he says. “Dr. Key is the man. I really like listening to him talk. How he goes about his work. Instilling confidence in you when he’s talking. His technique is awesome.”
And Patrick seems to have a great approach as well.
I started the season on a limited pitch count, but by the middle of the season I was full-go and throwing hard." Patrick Steitz
“You know, most individuals that suffer the Tommy John injury take longer than a year to return to participation at a high level,” says Jeff Roberts, Kansas Team Health athletic trainer. “With appropriate surgical techniques in the hands of somebody like Vince, and diligent efforts on the part of the student athlete and everybody that's involved in providing care to them, we were able to get Patrick back on the mound, where he's just a little bit shy of 11 months post operative right now. He’s just doing fantastic.”
Other training staff described Patrick’s approach as businesslike and focused. He says it’s simple. His advice for others going through Tommy John surgery is: “Do your rehab. When you do start throwing, don’t be scared. You’re going do what the progression says. Stay the course. Trust that you’re going to be good.”
Dr. Key agrees that it’s important for each person involved in the process to do their part to have a successful recovery.
“Everyone has a role, but we all work together. I usually break it up in the thirds. What I do is a third. What the athlete does is a third, and what the athletic trainer does is a third. Everyone does their job. Everyone needs to be on the same page and just kind of understanding the athlete having the same message, whether it's from me, whether it's from (the athletic trainer), it's the same message,” says Dr. Key.
Patrick clearly did his part.
"I started the season on a limited pitch count, but by the middle of the season I was full-go and throwing hard."
Which is great news for Patrick’s high expectations of being drafted to the MLB.
“I think that was the worst part of getting hurt last year. I was hoping to have a good year and get drafted, but we’re back for this season so the goals stay the same,” he says.
