This MLB Pitcher’s Injury Was Definitely Not an “Accident”

A story broke this weekend that brought back shades of a legendary Yankees' injury. Back in 2012, Yankees' setup man Joba Chamberlain dislocated his ankle while jumping on a trampoline. While already on the disabled list for Tommy John Surgery, Chamberlain missed more time due to the ankle injury, before finally returning the Bombers in August of the same year.

Nearly a decade later, we have another submission to the "Weirdest Sports Injuries of All-Time", and it's spectacular.

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According to a report from ESPN last night, Oakland Athletics' pitcher Jesus Luzardo broke his pinkie finger after he banged on a table while playing a video game before he was scheduled to pitch. While this is already an incredible story, there is another layer to it. Here's what A's manager Bob Melvin told the media about the injury:

"Before the game he was playing a video game and accidentally bumped his hand on the desk as he was playing the game." - A's manager Bob Melvin (from ESPN)

I have an issue with this, specifically, how the word "accidentally" is deployed in this sentence. I'm sure Luzardo didn't mean to break his hand, but we've all been in this situation before. You gave up a goal, a home run, a touchdown, got killed in Call of Duty or whatever else. You're mad you lost, so you look for the nearest surface onto which you can vent your frustrations.

Standing at six feet tall and over 200 pounds, Luzardo probably packs a decent punch. He likely didn't think twice about the way his hand hit the table, and immediately regretted his decision. Talk about adding insult to injury, or the other way around.

When all was said and done, Luzardo still pitched that day, but was relatively ineffective, and was put on the Injured List later in the day. The diagnosis: a hairline fracture, along with a bruised ego, and a losing record in whatever video game he was playing.