Chicago Cubs pitcher Colten Brewer was placed on the 60-day disabled list over the weekend after breaking his hand while punching a wall in the team’s dugout, making it the most unusual injury in Cubs history.
Craig Counsell called the injury an “unfortunate mistake” and Brewer described the incident as “heartbreaking.”
“At times it’s hard to control my emotions,” he told The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney. “It’s tough for me right now, knowing that I’ve let my family, my friends, my teammates and the people of Wrigleyville down.”
The injury occurred after Brewer gave up three runs in the third inning of Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Angels. Brewer was replaced with two outs and was seen punching a wall with his non-pitching hand, which team doctors said was broken.
Brewer’s injury is certainly unusual, but it’s by no means unique in the Cubs’ pantheon of strange injuries. Here’s a look back at some of the stranger injuries that have occurred over the years.
Tyler Colvin
During a September 2010 game against the Marlins, Colvin was hit in the chest by pieces of a broken bat while running toward home plate.
Colvin was hospitalized for several days following the horrific incident.
Kyle Farnsworth
The Cubs were hit by a series of strange injuries during the 2004 season, but Farnsworth’s slump was reminiscent of the Brewer incident.
During an August 27 game against the Astros, Farnsworth allowed six hits and six earned runs and became so angry that he threw his glove into the stands and kicked the fan in the team’s clubhouse.
The kick ended up sidelining him for nearly a month.
Koye Hill
Hill was busy working with a table saw in his workshop during the 2007 off-season when a piece of wood got caught and his hand got caught in the saw.
The accident left his thumb severed and his four other fingers badly damaged, but after doctors reattached his thumb, he was able to regain function in his hand and continue his playing career.
Felix Pye
One of the Cubs’ top prospects, Pie was forced to miss some time in spring training in 2008 after suffering complications from a “testicular torsion” that ultimately required surgery.
Sammy Sosa
“Slamming Sammy” briefly became known as “Sneezin’ Sammy” after an incident in 2004 when he suffered back spasms from several forceful sneezes. According to team doctors, the spasms were so severe that he sprained ligaments in his back. Sammy ended up missing a month of games.
Kerry Wood
During spring training in February 2007, Wood was relaxing in a hot tub as he was transitioning from a starting pitcher to a relief pitcher, when he slipped while exiting the tub and landed on his chest and abdomen, but did not miss any regular season games as a result of the incident.
Carlos Zambrano
We were all addicted to chat rooms and email in the 2000s, but Zambrano took things to a new level after elbow problems forced him out of the starting lineup in May 2005.
The problems could be caused by spending too much time typing on a keyboard, and the team’s doctor has told him to limit computer use.
