VIDEO: Aaron Barrett Breaks Down After Completing 1st MLB Outing in 4 Years With Ronald Acuña K
By Mark Powell
After undergoing Tommy John surgery and breaking his humerus--long considered one of the worst injuries for a pitcher--Aaron Barrett made his first outing in over four years on Saturday night against the Atlanta Braves. Barrett went one inning and struck out Ronald Acuña, giving up no runs in the process. After the successful appearance, Barrett broke down as the circumstances weighed on him. Soon after he was comforted by teammates.
Aaron Barrett after first MLB appearance in over 4 years. pic.twitter.com/DR3kEVmTJO
— Carol Maloney (@carolmaloney4) September 8, 2019
Barrett is one of the best stories of this baseball season, as he received a late call-up from the Nationals in hopes of contributing to their postseason run. The Nats bullpen as a whole is unpredictable, so there's surely a role for Barrett should he succeed in critical situations.
Aaron Barrett last pitched in the major leagues in 2015.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) September 3, 2019
He didn't pitch at all in 2016 and 2017 after Tommy John surgery and the worst pitching injury: a broken humerus.
In 2018, at 30 years old, he returned in Low-A.
He spent all of this year in Double-A.
This is awesome. https://t.co/fOZKof45EN
For now, though, Barrett's only focus should be on this monumental accomplishment. Very few pitchers make it back to the MLB level after undergoing that level of physical stress. Barrett, thankfully, was an exception.