Major League Depression

When New York Mets relief pitcher Taylor Buchholz went on the disabled list on May 30, the official reason was right shoulder fatigue. This was not entirely inaccurate, but it turns out that Buchholz was struggling with a pair of far less tractable ailments as well: depression and anxiety.

Buchholz went public with his struggle in a statement released on July 1, and an article posted on the local news website Patch yesterday fills in the details of his story. After undergoing major arm surgery in 2009, Buchholz was doing a rehab stint last year with the Colorado Rockies minor league team in Modesto, California, when he began to spiral downwards. Formerly upbeat and outgoing, he found himself dreading going to the ballpark. Even more disturbing, he experienced bouts of anxiety, heart palpitations, nervous twitches, and muscle spasms. One day in the shower, he burst out into tears for no discernible reason.

After the crying fit, Buchholz told the team psychologist what he had been going through. He began to get some help and his condition improved. Then, early this season, his shoulder turned up sore and triggered a return of his depression and anxiety. Now he is home in Havertown, Pennsylvania, taking medication, receiving treatment, and feeling more upbeat, though he is unsure whether he will return to baseball.

“Baseball has been part of my whole life,” Buchholz told Patch. “But happiness is much more important than any job in the world. The most important things in my life are [my wife] Ashley, [my son] Jayden, and my family. That’s what makes me most happy.”

Around the Web

Mets’ Buchholz Is Dealing With Depression and Anxiety [The New York Times]

Dealing With Depression On A Major League Level [Patch]