After Two Tommy John Surgeries, Donovan Zsak is Enjoying His Moment

You would be hard-pressed to find someone more grateful to be on the mound than Donovan Zsak.

Drafted in the eighth round in 2024 out of Rutgers, Zsak recognized that this moment wasn’t always a guarantee. In fact, there was a time when he considered quitting baseball altogether. However, it is that moment that has paved the way for the positive emotions in which he exhibits now, through all the ups and downs of a Minor League Season.

“Early in the season, I really struggled here,” Zsak said. “I was like, you know what? I’d rather struggle than be in a cast or a sling and not play at all.”

Zsak grew up in New Jersey and, from a young age, his arm was what set him apart.

“I remember playing center field, being in the outfield,” Zsak said. “I always remembered I had a good arm, so I just always had that with me.”

He grew up a diehard Yankees fan, idolizing the likes of Brett Gardner and Bryce Harper. At the time, his dreams involved roving the outfield of Yankee Stadium. As he got older, his coaches began realizing that the mound may be his calling card.

His father, Don, was a pitcher in college, and was the person who influenced his love of the game. Despite trying his hand at other sports, Donovan realized that baseball had a pull on him like no other. By the time he reached high school, he began to realize he had a shot of turning the sport into a career.

“In high school, I was throwing pretty hard on the mound, getting close to 90 miles an hour,” Zsak said. “I realized this could be my ticket.”

It did not take long for others to take notice as well. As a freshman, Zsak committed to the University of Virginia, a regional baseball powerhouse in the ACC. They barely saw him pitch before offering him a scholarship, which he quickly accepted.

With UVA in his corner, Zsak continued his high school career. Though, despite the joys of his freshman year, his sophomore season brought a lot more heartache.

At the start of his sophomore season, Zsak suffered a UCL tear, which required surgery. The surgery, more commonly known as Tommy John surgery, set him back two full years, as he not only missed sophomore year, but his junior season as well.

“I was scared and didn’t know what was going to happen,” Zsak said. “I was 16 and you never expect you’re going to hear that you need Tommy John surgery.”

Despite being sidelined for two years, Zsak worked hard to make sure he could return to the mound for his senior season. Through the recovery process, UVA stuck with him, and he felt destined to become a Cavalier.

However, his senior season had different plans. On July 10, 2022, he tore his UCL for a second time, requiring another surgery.

“That was probably the lowest point of my baseball career,” Zsak said. “I was super disappointed. I didn’t know if I was going to keep playing.”

At the Major League level, numerous pitchers have undergone multiple Tommy John surgeries. Names like Jacob DeGrom, Walker Buehler, and Dustin May fit the bill. As a high schooler, though, a second Tommy John surgery in as many years is often the end of the line for most pitchers.

“The second one definitely hurt worse,” Zsak said. “I was like, damn, I worked really hard, and it didn’t really work out in the end.”

UVA decided to revoke his scholarship right before he moved to Charlottesville, crushing the dream and certainty he had since his freshman year.

Now, with a freshly repaired elbow, Zsak thought about how he wanted to proceed. Despite dreaming of making a comeback, he settled on attending Rutgers as a normal student. Only 15-minutes from where he grew up, it was a chance for him to start fresh.

He ended up getting ahold of the coaches there and explained the whole situation. They were able to get him into the school in time for the first day of classes, and when September rolled around, he finally caught the break he had been looking for.

The Scarlet Knights had an open roster spot and asked Zsak if he would join the team.

This was not the end of the road, as he still had to redshirt his freshman season while he recovered. This time, the program stuck with him.

“I love Rutgers,” Zsak said. “Super fun school, but also great teammates and great coaches. These guys allowed me to play and work in rehab with Big 10 trainers, so that helped a ton.”

The coaches recognized Zsak’s talent. As a hard-throwing, lanky, lefty reliever, he slotted nicely into the Scarlett Knights bullpen. They kept pushing him to give it his all, understanding how lucky he was to have recovered for a second time.

“They were like, ‘you’ve got one shot at baseball, just give it everything you’ve got’,” Zsak said. “I took that mentality and ran with it. Baseball was going pretty bad, but I always knew and had a feeling that it would work out in the end.”

He turned that motivation into an outstanding season with Rutgers. He finished the campaign having made 19 appearances, earning a 3-1 record with a 4.11 ERA. In addition, he racked up 39 strikeouts across 35 innings of work.

Since he was so limited in his pitching over the last four years, he decided to go to the Cape Cod League to get some additional reps. He ended up only making two appearances for the Bourne Braves when he heard his name called in the 2024 MLB Draft.

“When I got the call saying that the Guardians were going to take me with their next pick, I was super happy, so excited,” Zsak said. “My dad was crying, and it was such a good feeling because all the hard work paid off.”

The decision to turn pro was easy for Zsak. With everything he had been through, he did not want to waste this opportunity.

“I knew if I had a shot to play pro baseball, I was going to take it,” Zsak said. “I just wanted my shot to play pro, so I’m taking it and running with it.”

He was quickly assigned to Lynchburg after the draft, posting a solid 1.86 ERA across seven outings of relief. This season, he started slow, but in the middle of June, he had dropped his ERA to 5.73, with 32 strikeouts, over 19 appearances.

Looking back, Zsak has been able to put his whole journey into perspective: He’s making every moment count.

“You’re going to have bad games, and you’re going to have tough times and difficulties,” Zsak said. “You just gotta take these games with a grain of salt and just be happy you’re playing.”