Walker Johnson threw out the first pitch at a Houston Astros game Monday night. It was his first time on a baseball mound since he died.
That statement is no exaggeration, and it captures the incredible backstory behind Johnson’s appearance at Minute Maid Park.
The then-13-year-old was pitching for his Houston-area travel baseball team in late March when he was hit in the chest with a line drive. The impact gave Walker commotio cordis — a heart arrhythmia caused by a blow to the chest — and with no defibrillator at the scene, his heart stopped.
After nearly a minute, however, his heart miraculously started beating again. Walker was rushed to the hospital, where his doctor later confirmed to The Houston Chronicle that he literally had died and come back to life.
Needless to say, it was a pretty special moment when Walker threw out the first pitch to Astros outfielder Jake Marisnick, on his 14th birthday no less.
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Walker spent six days in the hospital after his brush with death and still is recovering from the scary injury. He hasn’t been able to return to his travel team yet, as the blood pressure medication he’s taking causes great fatigue. Yet it’s only a matter of time before the 14-year-old is back on the field, and given the circumstances, we’re guessing he doesn’t mind waiting.
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@HoustonChron
