KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI: Jeff Passan, one of the most famous and respected MLB journalists, injured his back due to a major storm in Kansas City. The ESPN Insider, who is often active on Twitter, made a tweet describing his prolonged absence from the social networking site. After making his statement on Monday, July 17, he posted a picture of the fallen tree limb and quipped that he intended to use it to craft a baseball bat.
The 42-year-old Passan worked for Yahoo Sports for 13 years before joining ESPN in 2018. Passan's busiest period of the year and the beginning of free agency during the offseason are currently neck-and-neck with the approaching MLB trade deadline on August 1. Fortunately, Passan will have the resources at his disposal to fulfill his reporting duties even while recovering.
'I have a broken back'
The ESPN MLB expert revealed on Twitter on Monday that he just had a yardwork mishap and injured his back. Passan wrote, "Sorry I haven’t been posting lately. During cleanup after a big storm in KC, a large tree limb decided to crush me. The good news: I still have use of my arms, legs and Twitter fingers. The bad news: I have a broken back. The vertebra fracture will heal. I will be better. I’m hoping the pain subsides between now and the trade deadline, though painkiller-fueled tweets could be a fun time."
Passan continued by extending gratitude to ESPN and the medical professionals who helped him. "To my incredible family, friends and everyone at ESPN who have been so supportive: Thank you. For the nurses, doctors and support staff at KU Med: I so appreciate your care and diligence. And to those who are so vital to helping me deliver news this time of year especially: My back may be shot, but my phone still works," the MLB expert continued.
Passan then posted a picture of the troublesome tree branch with the caption: "This is the culprit. You can be d**n sure I will be making a bat out of it."
'You’re one of the best'
Fans and followers immediately started pouring in supportive comments for the ESPN star who was injured. Scott Hanson of NFL Network said: "Oh man. Get well soon! Will miss seeing you on air - I’m a fan." Emmanuel Acho from Fox Sports added: "Sorry to hear this, get better my friend!!" Cassidy Hubbarth of ESPN said, "So glad you’re doing okay! Safe and speedy recovery to you!" Malika Andrews, another ESPN celebrity, retorted, "So glad you’re okay, Jeff! Wishing you a speedy recovery."
One fan commented on Passan's tweet, "Hope you start feeling better sooner rather than later. You’re one of the best." A second follower chimed in, "Wow man glad you will be okay! Hope for a quick recovery, see you on the Pat McAfee show in 2 weeks to hear all about it!" A third fan wrote, "Hope you feel better soon. Thank you for keeping us all updated on everything baseball related." Another one exclaimed, "Oh my goodness, I am glad you escaped in good spirits. Tree limbs are no joke. Wish you the best on the road to recovery." One more fan commented, "Holy smokes Jeff, happy to see you’re ok. Hope the recovery time and process isn’t too much for you to handle."
A look into Jeff Passan's life and career
Passan, born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, graduated from Solon High School and then went to Syracuse University. Passan started writing for 'The Daily Orange' while still a student at Syracuse and covered sports. Passan worked for Yahoo! for 13 years before signing a four-year, $4 million contract to join ESPN as he developed in the sports media industry. He appeared on several studio programs like 'SportsCenter', 'Get Up', and 'The Rich Eisen Show.'
Over the years, Passan has often found himself defending baseball and its leading players. One of his best moments was when he stood up for Japanese phenom Shohei Ohtani against ESPN coworker Stephen A. Smith, who noted that Ohtani couldn't be an MLB hero because he didn't speak English well.
