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Pirates pitcher Luke Weaver over poison ivy
Baseball players have pitched through torn ligaments, broken bones, and all kinds of injuries that sound appropriately heroic. Luke Weaver has spent nearly a month trying to get major league hitters out while his entire lower body is apparently covered in poison ivy.
The Pittsburgh Pirates reliever says he brushed against a bush during the team’s August trip to Miami and developed such a severe reaction that he has struggled to sleep ever since. Weaver told José Negron that he has been dealing with hives across his lower body and waking up repeatedly at night, with theScore detailing a problem that sounds considerably worse than the phrase “poison ivy” normally suggests.
Luke Weaver Lost A Fight With One Bush In Miami
There is something incredibly unfair about this.
Weaver survived years of professional baseball, thousands of pitches, and an August trade deadline only to have his season disrupted because he apparently walked too close to the wrong plant.
He contracted the poison ivy while the Pirates were in Miami from Aug. 11-13, shortly after Pittsburgh acquired him from the Mets. Weaver said he simply brushed against a bush before his body reacted badly enough that the rash spread across his lower half.
Then it refused to leave.
The sleep problem might be the most important part. Relievers already operate on irregular schedules, frequently pitching late at night and then being expected to recover quickly enough to do it again the next day.
Trying to do that while waking up throughout the night because your legs are covered in hives seems less than ideal.
Weaver acknowledged the issue has probably affected his performance, although he has continued pitching rather than going on the injured list.
The Pirates said their medical staff has been working with him and that his condition was finally improving by early September.
Apparently the toughest opponent in the Pittsburgh bullpen was photosynthesis.
The ERA Split Makes The Timing Look Even Worse
Weaver was excellent before the trade.
He posted a 1.84 ERA across 44 innings with the Mets, striking out 45 hitters while walking only 11. He even put together a stretch of 25 consecutive appearances without allowing an earned run.
Then Pittsburgh acquired him Aug. 3.
Weaver made two scoreless appearances for the Pirates before the Miami trip, then allowed all six of his Pittsburgh earned runs after his encounter with the bush. He entered Friday’s series against the Angels with a 5.79 ERA in 9 1/3 innings for his new team.
That does not prove poison ivy caused every bad pitch.
It does make the timeline almost comically suspicious.
Weaver has also dealt with a recent sinus cold, because apparently his immune system decided one bizarre problem at a time was not enough.
The good news is that he has continued to be available, and manager Don Kelly said the rash was finally getting better after proving unusually stubborn.
Still, imagine getting traded to a contender, watching your ERA triple and then having to explain that the culprit may have been a random shrub in Miami.
Baseball has produced plenty of strange injury stories.
“Brushed against a bush and stopped sleeping for a month” is a pretty strong addition.