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Clay Buchholz Learns Firsthand How Other Factors Can Sideline Major League Pitchers

Clay Buchholz assumed it was just a stomach virus.

Two weeks ago, the Red Sox pitcher laid down in the team clubhouse, attempting to fight through pain in his stomach. He soon realized it wasn't a typical ailment.

"[I] woke up a couple times in the middle of the night to use the restroom. Right when I stood up, got really light-headed and thought I was going to pass out," Buchholz said. "So I just laid back down. That's when I sort of knew something was going on."

Buchholz was dealing with esophagitis, where the lining of the esophagus erodes and leads to gastrointestinal bleeding. The illness prompted the Red Sox to place Buchholz on the disabled list, where's he still sidelined.

Scary symptoms showed Buchholz something was wrong. At first, he felt like his blood wasn't circulating very well. Then, little by little, his vision started getting blurry. Before long, he was rushed to Massachusetts General Hospital.

"I didn't really know what was going on," Buchholz said. "Whenever you got doctors [saying], 'All right, just come to my doctor's office and we'll check you out.' I was like, 'I can't get there, I can't walk.' I think they were trying to downplay it, but when you're laying in the ICU, where I'm from, it usually means that stuff's not going really well."

At one point, Buchholz didn't eat for 72 hours. The 27-year-old lost three pounds and the stamina needed to unleash 100-plus pitches in major league action.

After leaning on IVs and liquid medication for sustenance during his two days in intensive care, Buchholz was released. He then needed to regain strength in his legs before he could take the mound again.

"Moving around and stuff — if I was running up and downstairs or running on the treadmill, I think I'd be fatigued," Buchholz said. "But [the doctors] said that's going to be quick to come back."

The Red Sox could use Buchholz in the rotation. He logged quality outings in four of his last five starts before landing on the DL.

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) is offering 100 healthy tips to celebrate Fenway Park’s centennial. Visit 100pitches.org to learn more.