During spring training in 1998, Jerzembeck was hit with a throw from Jorge Posada and suffered a bruised pitching elbow in what Buster Olney described as "a freakish play."[2][3] He spent the majority of the season in the International League with the Columbus Clippers and suffered a loss of velocity on his fastball and inconsistency with his curveball.[3] He made his Major League debut on August 8, 1998, striking out Dean Palmer in one inning in relief of Orlando Hernández.[4] He appeared in two more games that season, putting up a 12.79 ERA in two starts and one relief appearance.[5] Following the season, James Andrews performed surgery on his injured elbow.[3]
Jerzembeck missed the entirety of the 1999 and 2000 seasons due to elbow and shoulder surgeries.[6][7] The Yankees released Jerzembeck on June 13, 2001, after ten appearances with the Norwich Navigators of the Eastern League. He signed a minor league contract with the Minnesota Twins on March 13, 2002.[6] He missed the beginning of the season due to continuing elbow problems.[8] The 2002 season was the last in which he played; he pitched parts of the season with the GCL Twins, New Britain Rock Cats and Edmonton Trappers.[7]
In September 2005, James Andrews performed an arthroscopic surgery on Jerzembeck's elbow.[9]
