Ken Rosenthal joined The Athletic last August in the wake of Fox Sports torpedoing their own digital content with their fabled pivot to video. Since then, The Athletic has continued to expand at a very fast pace, grabbing up baseball writers left and right.
just went outside and someone with The Athletic tried to pull me into the back of a van
— Jeff Sullivan (@based_ball) February 1, 2018
That boost in coverage is going to have to sustain The Athletic for a while on the MLB side, as Ken Rosenthal will be out of commission for a while.
Rosenthal announced on Twitter Wednesday that he would be undergoing back surgery:
Personal news: I am undergoing back surgery tomorrow. Had surgery for scoliosis when I was 17 and need additional work done, so you won’t hear from me for a while. Goal is to be back by Opening Day – in the best shape of my life!
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) February 14, 2018
Rosenthal’s timing is interesting, given the impending start of spring training, and on the surface it might seem odd. But assuming it was a scheduled procedure, this is typically the best time of year for a newsbreaker like Rosenthal to take a month off.
Unfortunately, this hasn’t been a typical offseason for baseball; there are still plenty of players unsigned, to the point that the MLBPA has organized a training camp for free agents.
Rosenthal was reporting on that as recently as Wednesday:
Union source: General training sessions not open to public. Person who attempted to gain access was told if he had interest in a particular player, a private workout could be arranged. As one free agent put it, “Spring training for all the unsigned guys isn’t a tryout camp.” https://t.co/whBVJMJNit
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) February 14, 2018
The latest
- CBSSN’s ‘The Golazo Show’ interrupted by fire alarm, leading to great goal shown without hosts’ commentary
- Colin Cowherd chides SI naming Deion Sanders ‘Sportsperson of the Year’: ‘It’s probably AI-generated.’
- Stephen A. Smith defends Malika Andrews against criticism from Dez Bryant over racialized NBA coverage
- MLS players’ union condemns officials’ union, says they made and repeated false statements about Matt Miazga
Spring training is typically filled with analysis of the teams as they’re constituted, as everyone is in a holding pattern until opening day, when the games themselves start to impact the trade market (teams become buyers or sellers, needs become apparent, injuries occur, etc.) That’s when reporters like Rosenthal get revved back up again, and it’s why his timing would normally make sense.
It just sucks because there’s still plenty of inevitable offseason news that hasn’t happened yet.
But, more importantly, Rosenthal’s back has apparently bothered him for a while now, and chronic pain and discomfort isn’t good for anyone. Hopefully, he makes a quick and full recovery.
