Jared Walsh has been away from the Los Angeles Angels for the entirety of the regular season, but his current condition has made returning to baseball activities secondary in the grand scheme.
Walsh was a key member of the Angels’ offense in years past, mainly because of his power left-handed bat, however, late in spring camp he revealed he’d been dealing with insomnia and persistent headaches. The team opted to shut him down until further evaluations could provide more answers.
But a full calendar month has passed in the regular season without Walsh, and according to Sam Blum of The Athletic, this process has been incredibly difficult, even losing his ability to properly walk without having depth perception issues:
“It’s been hell, to be completely honest with you,” Walsh said. “It’s been hell. Not knowing what’s going on. Not understanding what’s happening with my body. Being in the prime of my life. The prime of my career. And not being able to get answers, not being able to figure out why I can’t do basic tasks. It’s been pretty concerning for me.”
Figuring out a proper course of action to get him even feeling back to his regular self was the most important step, and Walsh’s mom Lisa found a facility in Utah that specialized in treating his symptoms:
He said, “Hell yeah,” when asked if it was hard to make this choice. He kept it private as long as he could. He played through it as long as he could. Getting help was the only option.
“For the longevity of my career, and reclaiming my life back,” Walsh said, “it was a decision I felt like I had to make.”
Walsh feels good about where he’s at in his progression, but there’s still work to be done and more patience to be had:
“I’ve had some long nights,” Walsh said. “But I’ve met a lot of really smart people over the past few months. They’ve really renewed my optimism quite a bit. They’re optimistic that I’m going to be back good as new. So I’m just going to take their word for it.”
Taking a human approach to understanding a professional athlete dealing with an injury you can’t see or specifically diagnose is how Walsh’s status should be approached. When he’s ready to return to game action is when he’ll give the green light that he’s good to go, until then, fans and the Angels should and will be patient.
Angels may activate Chad Wallach soon
Prior to their matchup against the Houston Astros on Tuesday, the Angels made a series of roster moves, including placing Chad Wallach on the seven-day concussion injured list.
Wallach last appeared in a game on May 6, when he went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts against the Texas Rangers. The 31-year-old woke up the following morning with a stiff neck, which landed him in concussion protocol.
Angels manager Phil Nevin provided an update on Wallach’s condition, saying the catcher is making progress and could return to the lineup as soon as next week.
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