The young baseball pitcher enters the examination room holding onto his elbow and his aspirations with intensity. His sense of despair is overwhelming until Dr. David Altchek arrives in the room. With calm reassurance and quiet confidence, he’d explain how a ligament could be rebuilt, and how hope didn’t have to be lost. For more than three decades, that was the Mets’ physician’s gift. He didn’t just operate on elbows, he restored futures.
Dr. Altchek wasn’t just a surgeon. He was a lifeline, a trusted voice in the chaos that follows injury. The man who silently influenced the destinies of many passed away on Thursday at 68 years old after battling brain cancer. His passing was confirmed by the Hospital for Special Surgery, where he served as chief emeritus for much of his career. Dr. Altchek was exceptional not for his surgical skills in a field characterized by precision and traditions but also for his profound compassion towards others.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. David Altchek,” Mets owner Steve Cohen and his wife, Alex, shared in a joint statement. “For more than two decades, Dr. Altchek served as the Mets’ Head Team Physician and Medical Director. Renowned worldwide for his surgical expertise, he was equally admired for the compassion and care he showed to our players. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues.”
Statement from Steve & Alex Cohen on the passing of Dr. David Altchek.https://t.co/CoyLQwqNuY
— New York Mets (@Mets) July 17, 2025
Starting in 1993, Altchek helped revolutionize Tommy John surgery, pioneering a more efficient method known as the “docking technique.” He tested it on roughly 100 elbows, and the results changed everything. “It worked, and it worked amazingly well,” he once recalled. By the time of his passing, Altchek had performed more than 2,400 Tommy John surgeries, earning his place beside icons like Dr. Frank Jobe.
But his true gift? Reassurance. Altchek had an approach in the realm of sports where injuries typically signal the end. He managed to turn them into beginnings instead of just delving into the scientific aspects. Dr. Altchek renewed hope and faith in recovery.
Dr. Glenn Fleisig captured it simply: “His biggest impact was his warm, friendly, caring personality. Colleagues, friends, and patients all loved David.”
He is survived by his wife Anne and their four children. But his true impact endures through the hands that never cease to create and the careers that continue to flourish thanks to his profound support for those in need.
A Mets mainstay: Decades of healing in Queens
When David Altchek first joined the New York Mets in 1991, the team was searching for stability not just on the field, but in its medical ranks. What they got instead was a game-changer. Altchek didn’t just diagnose injuries; he rebuilt careers, offering athletes a roadmap back from what once seemed like the end. From clubhouse whispers to front office trust, he became the man players and staff relied on when everything else fell apart.
Altchek served as the Mets’ head team physician from 1991 to 2001. He returned in 2005 to become the club’s medical director, a role he held until earlier this year. For nearly 25 seasons, he was a trusted fixture in Queens. He didn’t just treat injuries, he shaped the Mets’ entire medical philosophy, quietly rewriting how the organization approached rehab, surgery, and recovery.
No matter the stakes or the spotlight, Altchek worked with quiet resolve, letting results speak louder than recognition.
He wasn’t just a doctor assigned to the Mets; he was part of their DNA. From ace pitchers to rising prospects, nearly every Mets player who walked into that exam room knew Altchek’s name before they knew the diagnosis. His care extended far beyond MRIs and surgical tables. He asked questions. He listened. And more often than not, he gave players something they didn’t know they needed: The confidence to believe they’d pitch again.
Rest in peace, Doc!
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