Kevin Pillar fully cherishes the chance Atlanta Braves President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Alex Anthopoulos gave him.
But things could be quite different for the outfielder.
It’s that after joining the Los Angeles Dodgers last year and then being recalled at the end of May 2022, Pillar fractured his left shoulder in his fourth game of the season.
A surgery which was to end his season followed and the main interested party questioned the rest of his career.
There was a time when I wasn’t sure I wanted to play anymore. Getting older, having young children and sustaining a serious shoulder injury. It made me wonder what I really wanted to do.
However, things changed during the off-season. Pillar then told MLB teams that he was not looking for a job in the Triple A, but rather that he wanted a legitimate chance to play in the big leagues.
In the end, it was Anthopoulos who gave him what he wanted.
He believed that I could still be an asset to this team. I said to Alex: ‘Yes, I want to play every day, and I will be ready to do so. But I’m also quite mature and I understand that I can play this role because I can play good defense in the outfield. If I’m able to do it well, who knows how many more years I can play? I was grateful that he gave me an opportunity.
Indeed, if he continues his momentum of 2023, he could play for a long time in MLB, as evidenced by his OPS of .840 and his five long balls.
A nice story.
