For all of us who have Jeff Passan’s tweet notifications on, for a split second, it seemed like ESPN’s MLB insider was breaking a blockbuster trade. But once you got past the initial tweet, the seriousness of the moment had taken into effect.
“BREAKING: My back,” he tweeted.
This is the culprit.
You can be damn sure I will be making a bat out of it. pic.twitter.com/WkR4XkGBIH
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 17, 2023
Never one to take himself too seriously, Passan found a way to lighten the moment. Passan has been especially quiet on social media, especially during the time of the year in which MLB’s hot stove is heating up, as the league’s trade deadline nears. He hadn’t tweeted much of anything since Tuesday, July 11, which was also the day of MLB’s All-Star Game. Now, we know why.
Passan revealed that he was hospitalized after a scary incident with a tree. During cleanup after a big storm in his native Kansas City, Passan was crushed by a large tree limb and fractured his back. He found a silver lining in this though, as he said the good news was that he still has “use of my arms, legs and Twitter fingers.”
Here’s more from Passan’s initial statement:
The vertebra fracture will heal. I will be better. I’m hoping the pain subsides between now and the trade deadline, though painkiller-fueled tweets could be a fun time.
To my incredible family, friends and everyone at ESPN who have been so supportive: Thank you. For the nurses, doctors and support staff ay KU Med: I so appreciate your care and diligence. And to those who are so vital to helping me deliver news this time of year especially: My back may be shot, but my phone still works.
We certainly wish Passan the best as he recovers from this scary incident. While it may be a while before we see him on television again, we can certainly expect him to break some trades come Aug. 1.
[Jeff Passan on Twitter]
