REPORT: White Sox reliever Matt Foster sends important words after returning from Tommy John surgery

SAN FRANCISCO – On Friday night at Minute Maid Park, Matt Foster was warming up in the bullpen, ready to pitch the eighth inning for the Chicago White Sox. After recovering and rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, all that remained was his return to a big-league mound. “As soon as the seventh inning ended, I thought, ‘Alright, it’s time to get back out there,'” the right-handed reliever said Saturday in Houston. Foster missed the entire last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery on April 19. Most of this season was spent working towards his comeback, which finally happened on Friday against the Houston Astros. “It was awesome,” he said. “I was really excited, though I had some nerves too. It’s been a long time coming, and I’ve been waiting for this moment for nearly two years.”

Foster pitched a flawless inning, contributing to the Sox’s 5-4 win. “It’s not easy coming in late in the game for your first appearance in a while, but he did well, got ahead of hitters, and gave us a crucial inning,” said interim manager Grady Sizemore. “The biggest challenge after such a long layoff is getting comfortable again. The speed of the game, the feel of it, it’s not easy. But for him to come in, throw strikes, and have a clean inning was probably huge for his confidence and for us.”

Foster entered the game with the Sox leading 5-3. He got Jeremy Peña to fly out to right fielder Dominic Fletcher, struck out Victor Caratini, and ended the inning when Jake Meyers lined out to Fletcher. Foster threw 11 pitches, nine of which were strikes. “I’ve had rough outings in Houston before,” he said. “But last night was a good confidence booster, especially after everything I’ve been through. It was a lot of fun.”

Foster came into the game with a 4.39 career ERA and 113 strikeouts in 108 major-league games (including two starts). He played a key role in the Sox bullpen during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, posting a 6-1 record with a 2.20 ERA as the team made the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

He had a 6.00 ERA in 37 appearances in 2021 and made a career-high 48 appearances in 2022, finishing with a 4.40 ERA. His last major-league game before Friday was on September 1, 2022, against the Kansas City Royals. “I definitely have a new appreciation for the game,” Foster said. “When you’ve played for so long, sitting out that long is tough. Getting back to throwing bullpens during rehab was great, but after a while, it can get monotonous. The excitement really comes back when you start playing in games again.”

Foster mentioned that support from teammates like starting pitcher Davis Martin, who also returned to the majors in late July after Tommy John surgery in 2023, was vital. “Davis and I were in Phoenix all last year,” Foster said. “Having someone else there going through the same thing helps keep your spirits up. It can be lonely going through an injury process by yourself, but having others around you who are going through it too helps a lot.”

Foster, 29, admitted that there were some tough days during his recovery. “There are good days and bad days,” he said. “You just take it one day at a time and keep moving forward. Honestly, the whole Tommy John process went pretty smoothly for me. I didn’t have any major issues with my elbow or shoulder. A few weeks ago, I had a little back tweak that set me back, but we’re past that now and just continuing to move forward.”

After recovering from the back issue, Foster rebuilt his arm strength with Triple-A Charlotte. “Everything felt really good,” he said. “At that point, it was up to the front office to decide when to reinstate me. I just kept doing rehab games, staying healthy, and staying ready to go.” That moment came on Friday. Foster said everything felt “really good” coming out of his hand. “I threw a curveball last night, which I haven’t done in a while. I played around with it a bit in ’22, but during this rehab time, I had a lot of time to experiment with it. It’s a pitch I’ve become much more comfortable with over the past few weeks.”

He hopes the rest of this season will serve as a springboard for 2025. “My goal for the rest of 2024 is to stay healthy, keep pitching, and prepare for next year,” Foster said.