Chiefs consulted baseball doctors after Patrick Mahomes’ elbow injury scare: ‘Got away with one’

Baseball is part of Patrick Mahomes’ lineage, and the Chiefs had two doctors affiliated with MLB review scans of the star quarterback’s throwing elbow ahead of Sunday’s game against the Falcons.

Two team physicians, Dr. Vincent Key of the Royals and Dr. Keith Meister of the Rangers, were consulted for additional opinions after Mahomes underwent tests following last week’s win over the Jets, ESPN reported Sunday.

It was determined that Mahomes suffered a muscle strain and what one source categorized as “a very small sprain of his UCL,” the report stated.

But the doctors confirmed that it was “safe” for the three-time Super Bowl champion to play against the Falcons after receiving treatment throughout the week.

Mahomes, of course, also has a family history with baseball; his father Pat played 11 seasons in MLB, including two with the Mets. 

The younger Mahomes also was a 37th-round draft pick of the Tigers out of high school before playing college football at Texas Tech.

Chiefs vice president of sports medicine and performance Rick Burkholder wanted Mahomes’ tests reviewed by the baseball doctors because of the frequency of elbow injuries in that sport, ESPN reported.

Key specializes in Tommy John surgery and “newer UCL repair techniques,” while Meister is a well-regarded orthopedic surgeon specializing in elbow and shoulder injuries.

According to the report, Key informed the Chiefs he believes they “got away with one,” concerning Mahomes’ elbow, and both doctors concurred that “the damage could have been significantly worse.”

Another NFL quarterback, Arizona’s Gardner Minshew, sustained a more serious UCL elbow injury last week against the Seahawks; he is expected to undergo season-ending surgery.

The 31-year-old Mahomes suffered a season-ending torn ACL last December, but he recovered in time to start Week 1 for the Chiefs this season.