Shae Simmons

We typically think of the recovery time from Tommy John surgery as being between 12-to-18 months, but Simmons' story shows why every case is unique. He went under the knife for reconstructive elbow surgery in February of 2015. Shortly after beginning a rehab assignment at Triple-A in May of 2016, Simmons experienced triceps tightness, and he was shut down again shortly after his return to Atlanta that September. Other setbacks included: lat tendinitis, forearm soreness, a flexor strain and shoulder soreness. Simmons returned to the major leagues with Seattle in September. After enjoying initial success, Simmons endured some hiccups in his final few outings (six earned runs in 2.1 innings), leading the Mariners to non-tender him. He flashed back-end potential during his time in Atlanta, but 2014 is a lifetime ago in baseball and it seems especially far away for Simmons given the injury saga.