Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.
New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso wasn't thrilled with a Sports Illustrated story that questioned whether pitchers should be undergoing Tommy John surgery during the coronavirus pandemic.
Alonso's teammate, Noah Syndergaard, underwent the procedure last week.
Who is to judge someone’s medical needs in order to perform their job? Noah’s surgery, or any other athlete’s surgery during this time shouldn’t be scrutinized considering it is done by orthopedic surgeons, not those on the frontlines battling this pandemic.
— Pete Alonso (@Pete_Alonso20) March 30, 2020
The 25-year-old slugger apparently took umbrage with the notion that athletes should be reluctant to go under the knife while health care systems across the United States are being ravaged by COVID-19 outbreaks.
"Medical supplies are high in demand," Alonso wrote. "The issue isn't Noah needing surgery and getting it. The issue I have is that the tone of this article suggests that players are making the decisions to get surgeries."
He added, "No athlete wants to go through a serious surgery and grueling recovery process. This surgery is done when it is absolutely necessary for their arm."
Several states have imposed bans on non-essential surgery in order to free up resources. Famed surgeon Dr. James Andrews has suspended all Tommy John procedures in compliance with Florida's executive order, but other specialists like Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles continue to operate.