Former Phillies Pitching Prospect Retires After Losing Right Eye
After a freak training accident, occurring seven months, former Philadelphia Phillies pitching prospect, Matt Imhof is officially retiring from baseball at the age of 23, after the accident resulted in the loss of his right eye.
In 2016, Imhof began the season with the Clearwater Threshers in the Class A Florida State League.
While participating in a routine stretching regimen at Brevard County Stadium in late June, a piece of metal broke loose from the wall and struck him in the face.
Imhof was left with a fractured nose, two broken orbital bones, in addition to severely injuring his eye.
After consulting with doctors at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami, Imhof learned that the eye was damaged beyond repair. As a result, he decided to have it surgically removed and replaced with a prosthetic one.
Following the successful surgery, Imhof wrote to ESPN to share the details of his medical ordeal:
“I still love the game of baseball and I’m proud of everything I accomplished in the game,” he wrote. “It’s opened doors for me I never thought I’d walk through. It’s allowed me to represent my country on the biggest stage, and it’s given me a platform to effect positive change in the lives of those less fortunate than myself. I am blessed that I was able to play this game for 18 years and will never forget the lessons it taught me along the way.”
Imhof continued, saying,”I have never doubted my ability to be successful in life and I don’t plan on starting now; whether it’s a baseball field or a boardroom, I know my future is bright. With that in mind, I would like to announce my retirement from the game of baseball.”
Imhof began his professional career in 2014, as the 47th overall pick in the MLB first-year player draft out of Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo. In four minor league stops with the Phillies over the course of two and a half seasons, he earned himself a 13-10 record with an ERA of 3.69.
Though we don’t quite know what the future holds for Imhof, collectively, not only as Phillies fans, but as human beings, we wish him nothing but the utmost happiness and success.
Photo: Imagine Communications (via: Flickr)
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Categorized:Phillies