Anthony Vasquez seeks MLB return two years after brain surgery
The Philadelphia Phillies offered no guarantees when they signed Anthony Vasquez to a minor league contract on Tuesday, but just the fact the now 28-year-old left-hander has an opportunity to live his dream again is both a minor miracle and a remarkable comeback story.
In November of 2012, less than three months after Vasquez made his MLB debut with the Seattle Mariners, his life was hanging in the balance after doctors discovered he had a ruptured arteriovenous malformation, which is a life-threatening tangle of blood vessels in the brain and required emergency surgery.
Vasquez, who struggled during his short MLB stint, posting a 8.90 ERA over seven games, was going through a typical mid-November throwing session when reoccurring vision problems and dizziness popped up. He was tested on a Wednesday, which is when doctors originally spotted a lesion on his brain. That Friday, doctors at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix performed 5 1/2 hours of surgery to repair the rupture and save his life.
“He’s a miracle,” his father Rudy said days after the operation. “We have a strong faith in Jesus and Anthony’s faith has always been strong as well. There’s no other way to say it. When the neurosurgeon came out he said, ‘Your son should be dead, but he’s not.'”
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Amazingly, by the following Monday, Vasquez was discharged from the hospital and cleared to return home to San Antonio. He was also told that he’d likely be able to resume a normal life and continue his career in baseball. Still, there were obviously initial concerns and questions about whether or not he would or should make that attempt, but it didn’t take Vasquez long to make his intentions clear.
The following season, Vasquez was back in the Mariners system, posting a 4.08 ERA over 86 innings between High Class-A and Double-A. In 2014, he moved over to the Baltimore Orioles organization, notching 123 innings and a 4.95 ERA between Double-A and Triple-A.
Though his comeback to the big leagues hasn’t been completed yet, signing with the Phillies could represent his best chance to make the dream a reality. It’s an ideal landing spot for guys looking to breakthrough and prove they belong. Finally rebuilding, the Phillies should have several spots open for competition in spring training, and perhaps more openings during the regular season if they find deals for Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee and Jonathan Papelbon.
It’s a spot Vasquez will have to earn, of course, but given the odds he’s already overcome, it’s probably a bad idea to bet against him. If there’s one thing that’s for sure though, it’s that we’ll all be rooting for him.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
