New York Yankees pitcher Zack Britton met with the media on Wednesday and dropped some major news. He revealed that he tested positive for COVID-19 in January and is still dealing with after-effects. He also revealed that he lost a staggering 18 pounds in 10 days while fighting the virus.
“I was surprised,” Britton said on Wednesday. “I think I got it at the hospital when we were having our kid, so it was even worse. I was not expecting to be hit that hard by COVID. It wiped me out pretty good. The weight loss was surprising and just the after-effects I’ve been dealing with showed me how serious this can be, even for somebody that’s healthy, and how that can impact you months even after you’ve gotten over the roughest symptoms.
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“It just wiped me out pretty good for about 10 days,” Britton continued. “Lost about 18 pounds, which could be good, I guess? But, I wasn’t looking to lose 18 pounds and it happened quickly, so that’s not good on your body and puts pressure in a lot of places.” According to TMZ Sports, Britton generally stands at 6-feet-1-inch and 200 pounds.
As he continued to explain, the Yankees pitcher did not throw for about three to four weeks while dealing with coronavirus symptoms. He is starting to feel better now, but he is still set to miss multiple months of the season. Britton is undergoing surgery on Monday to remove a bone chip in his left elbow. Though he still plans on playing during the 2021 season.
“I know it’s going to be a few weeks to let the incision heal, let everything calm down, the range of motion, things like that,” Britton said, per NJ.com. “And then it’s just start building myself back up to get off the mound. You get some innings in and then rejoin the team.
“However long as that takes is how long I’m going to be out, but I know that I’m going to be back with the team at some point this year and pitch significant innings,” he continued. “So that’s all that matters. I just have to be smart, making sure that I’m fully prepared for whenever that day is.”
The Yankees will kick off the MLB season by playing the first game on Opening Day. The team will host the Blue Jays in the first of three battles at the ballpark. The game will take place at 1:05 p.m. ET.
