Turlock High’s Treadwell before Tommy John surgery: ‘I’ll be back’

Turlock High ace Damon Treadwell was in “good spirits” heading into Tommy John surgery Wednesday morning in Walnut Creek.

Treadwell was photographed by his parents gripping a worn baseball moments before his surgical appointment. Scribbled between the seams were the words: “I’ll be back,” an encouraging sign for fans of the 6-foot-4, 210-pound right-hander.

Brad Treadwell said his son was in “good spirits” – and good hands. A surgeon with the Oakland A’s organization performed the procedure on Damon’s right elbow.

“Getting ready to go in right now,” Brad Treadwell wrote in a message to The Bee. “Good spirits.”

Brad Treadwell said his son was looking forward to returning to baseball. If his recovery and rehabilitation goes as planned, the 18-year-old’s comeback appearance will come in a University of the Pacific uniform.

Damon was Pacific coach Mike Neu’s first official recruit in August of 2015.

Damon was 5-2 with a 2.48 ERA as a junior. He struck out 52 batters in 42-plus innings for the Central California Conference champions. The Bulldogs reached the second round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I tournament.

“Missing my senior year … that’s the season kids look forward to the most,” he said in an pre-surgical interview with The Bee, “but it’s just another bump in the road. I’ve got to work a little harder now, but I have no problem with that.”

Damon felt his right elbow pop twice – once in August at the Area Code Games in Long Beach, where he pitched for the A’s, and again in January after three months of rest.

An MRI in January revealed the extent of the injury: a tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.

This story was originally published March 15, 2017 at 12:37 PM with the headline "Turlock High’s Treadwell before Tommy John surgery: ‘I’ll be back’."