Twins Reliever Anthony Swarzak Fractures Two Ribs, Out for a Month After 'Horseplay' With Teammates

Twins Reliever Anthony Swarzak Fractures Two Ribs, Out for a Month After ‘Horseplay’ With Teammates

by Anna Fogel on Thu, Feb 7, 2013 at 9:20AM

Teams account for injuries during the season, but the Minnesota Twins didn’t expect to be shorthanded prior to the beginning of spring training. Right-handed pitcher Anthony Swarzak is now expected to miss a month after fracturing two ribs in January.

Swarzak wasn’t exactly lifting weights or running drills when the injury occurred — instead, he was trying his hand at another sport. Twins general manager Terry Ryan said Swarzak was wrestling with his teammates when the fateful injury happened.

“When he was up here for TwinsFest, he was messing around with a couple guys and cracked a couple ribs, so he’ll be out a month,” Ryan said. “He was wrestling around. It was some horseplay. He was out with a couple friends and the team and cracked a couple ribs fooling around. It wasn’t a fight or anything. It was just bad judgment wrestling around.”

The injury doesn’t come at the best time, as pitchers and catchers are set to report Tuesday to the team’s spring training complex in Fort Myers, Fla.

The Twins are hopeful that their long reliever will be ready by Opening Day, and in the meantime, Swarzak will hopefully stick to watching wrestling, not participating in it.

Photo via Flickr/JORDANSonME