Dr. James Andrews suspends TJ surgeries due to COVID-19

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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. James Andrews has suspended all Tommy John surgeries for the time being.

"We are not performing any non-urgent or non-emergent procedures, including Tommy John surgery, in compliance with the governor's executive order," a spokesperson for Dr. Andrews told Alex Speier of The Boston Globe. "We are adhering to these restrictions and all such cases will be suspended at this time."

The decision follows an order given by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on March 20 that prohibits any non-urgent medical procedures.

Since the coronavirus outbreak forced Major League Baseball to indefinitely postpone the start of its regular season, several high-profile players have undergone Tommy John surgery. New York Mets right-hander Noah Syndergaard had his procedure done in Florida by Dr. David Altchek and Boston Red Sox lefty Chris Sale went to Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles.

Last week, Dr. ElAttrache defended his decision to perform surgeries like Sale's and another administered to San Francisco Giants hurler Tyler Beede.

"I know that I'm going to get criticized for taking care of these kinds of guys, but it's essential to their livelihoods," ElAttrache told Henry Schulman of The San Francisco Chronicle. "If you have somebody's career at stake and they lose two seasons instead of one, I would say that is not a nonessential or unimportant elective procedure."

Philadelphia Phillies reliever Seranthony Dominguez is also considering the surgery after suffering a setback during spring training. Dr. Andrews recommended rest and relaxation for the right-hander when he examined him last summer, according to Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer.