White Sox first baseman Tim Elko underwent successful surgery to repair a torn ACL in his right knee on Tuesday, MLB.com’s Scott Merkin shared on X. Dr. Lyle Cain performed the procedure at the Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Center in Birmingham, Alabama.
According to the White Sox, Elko’s recovery time is approximately eight months, meaning he likely won’t see the field again until mid-season 2026.
Elko, 26, originally experienced discomfort in his right knee on July 11, which was diagnosed as a sprain. The injury landed him on the 10-day IL, and he missed three-plus weeks of action because of it. The first baseman later completed a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte and played the rest of the way for both the minor league affiliate and the major league team. It wasn’t until recently that a further evaluation revealed the need for surgery.
Following his procedure, Elko shared the following post on Instagram:
Attempt number 2! Thank you God for allowing Dr. Cain to perform a successful surgery on my ACL! I’ll be back soon, believe!
As alluded to his his post, this marks the second time that Elko has torn the ACL in his right knee. The first occurrence came while he attended Ole Miss in 2021, which became memorable as he played through the injury and hit a grand slam in the Oxford Regional.
We will continue to monitor Elko’s recovery and provide any updates along the way.
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Featured Photo: Matt Marton-Imagn Images