Atlanta Braves infielder, Erick Aybar , was not in the lineup for Thursday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Normally, a player not being in the lineup for a baseball team is not usually newsworthy. Why is Erick Aybar the exception?
The reason for Aybar missing Thursday’s game was due to him becoming the player with the weirdest baseball injury so far in the 2016 season. Erick Aybar was unable to play the game because he swallowed a chicken bone during his lunch and it got lodged in his throat.
According to interim Atlanta Braves manager, Brian Snitker, Erick showed up to PNC Park and complained about having some pain and discomfort in his throat along with difficulty speaking. One of his teammates stated that Erick had a bit of blood coming from his mouth and that he could not properly lift his shoulder due to the chicken bone causing discomfort.
Aybar was taken to a nearby hospital, where medical staff x-rayed him, sedated him, and removed the chicken bone from Aybar’s throat. Aybar is not expected to have any permanent damage as a result of the strange injury and is listed as day-to-day. Snitker commented to the media about the odd baseball injury.
“That poor guy had to be scared to death. He looked OK when he left, but I don’t think he’s feeling very good. Let’s just hope everything works out all right.”
The chicken bone that lodged itself in Aybar’s throat was just another thing to add to the list in Aybar’s dismal season . With 38 games under his belt this season, Erick is batting.174, has 23 hits out of 132 at-bats, no home runs, five runs batted in, four walks, and has struck out 27 times.
On Twitter, baseball fans reacted in the way that was expected.
Erick Aybar vs. Ernie The Giant Chicken? pic.twitter.com/HUDTTCrIFs
— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) May 19, 2016
Erick Aybar has never been much one for plate discipline.
— Ted Berg (@OGTedBerg) May 19, 2016
Erick Aybar was scratched from the lineup because he had a chicken bone in his throat. Yes, you read that right. https://t.co/w0mIubEu9A
— SB Nation (@SBNation) May 19, 2016
Good thing I didn’t hire Erick Aybar as my wing man????
— Chelsea Gates (@ChelseaGatesTV) May 19, 2016
we’ve reached the point where I am genuinely concerned for Erick Aybar’s basic motor skills https://t.co/Dgt2ya3Jg8
— Zach Dillard (@Zach_Dillard) May 19, 2016
Erick Aybar got injured going in on a plate of wings? G*****n. Ease up, bruh.
— Dvn Btn (@dvnbtn) May 20, 2016
The #Braves are literally choking now: https://t.co/QyUeNbnObZ
— Jimmy Holt (@jimmyktown) May 20, 2016
Things may be bad right now, but are they Erick Aybar bad?
— Zach Strauss (@zach_strauss) May 20, 2016
The game of baseball has seen its fair share of strange injuries. What are some of the strangest ?
- Glenallen Hill – 1990: While sleeping, Hill had a nightmare involving spiders. Hill suffers from arachnophobia, and he ended up sleepwalking into a glass table and then fell down some stairs. Hill was placed on the 15-day disabled list as a result.
- Joel Zumaya – 2007: After helping the Detroit Tigers get to the postseason by hitting triple digits on the speed gun, Zumaya complained of problems with his wrist and forearm. Detroit’s trainer realized that Zumaya’s injury was consistent of an injury you would expect from a guitar player as opposed to an elite MLB pitcher. It was revealed that his injury came from playing Guitar Hero .
- Adam Eaton – 2001: The Padres pitcher ended up missing one of his starts due to an injury sustained from a self-inflicted stab wound to the abdomen. Eaton was attempting to open a DVD package that was inside of a hard plastic frame. He grabbed a knife to cut through the plastic, the knife slipped, and he stabbed himself in the stomach.
Do you think Erick Aybar will end the 2016 season having the strangest injury?
[Image Via AP Photo/Butch Dill]
