Derek Holland is calling his recent knee injury the result of a “freak accident.”
The Texas Rangers pitcher will miss the start of the MLB season after needing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee last week. The left-hander initially told reporters he had fallen on the stairs in his home and hit his knee. On Saturday, though, Holland said the fall was because of his dog, a boxer named Wrigley, according to ESPN.
“He was running up the stairs and clipped me,” Holland said. “I hit my knee on the step, and if it wasn’t for me grabbing the rail, I might have fallen all the way down the stairs and cracked my head open.”
Texans team physician Dr. Keith Meister repaired torn cartilage in Holland’s knee. General manager Jon Daniels said it’s too early to give a timetable for when the pitcher will be back, but the Rangers are looking at a midseason return, according to USA Today.
Holland made all 33 of his scheduled starts in 2013, putting up a career-high 213 innings and a career-best 3.42 ERA.
