Overview
- John died Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, at his home in Florida after a period in hospice, his agent and multiple teams confirmed.
- He was the first major‑league pitcher to have Dr. Frank Jobe perform ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction on Sept. 25, 1974, a procedure that saved his career.
- John missed the 1975 season, returned in 1976 and won 164 games after the operation, finishing a 26‑season career with 288 victories and a 3.34 ERA.
- Reports say he had recently received treatment for a recurrence of bladder cancer but no formal cause of death has been released.
- The Yankees and Dodgers released tributes and his comeback procedure has since become a common UCL reconstruction that has preserved thousands of pitching careers and reshaped how teams treat elbow injuries.