The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

THE injury bug struck once again for one veteran Bahamian Major Leaguer at the most inopportune time to derail his comeback attempt.

Just hours before he was expected to be removed from the “disabled list,” Antoan Richardson was hit by a pitch Tuesday night and suffered a broken foot, a setback which is expected to place him a month behind his scheduled recovery time period.

The veteran outfielder, who spent the end of last season with the New York Yankees, was undergoing rehab in Arizona  following corrective surgery for a bulging spinal disk that took place during spring training back in March.

“I was looking forward to coming off the ‘DL’ and getting back to the Big Leagues. It’s definitely disappointing to have this happen at this time when I was supposed to come off the ‘DL’ today,” he told 10thYearSeniors.com.

“But I’m a firm believer in that everything happens for a reason. My faith is strong and I believe that God’s plan is definitely greater than mine. So I’m going to trust this process and all I’m going to do is work to get healthy again and when I get healthy again, go back at it.”

Following surgery Richardson went on the 60-day disabled list April 2. He began a rehab assignment in the rookie-level Arizona League on June 27 but was shut down after two games. He started a new rehab assignment in the Arizona League on July 11. He was sent on a rehab assignment to Triple-A Round Rock on July 26.

In five games since he returned from injury, he was hitting .200  with one RBI, one double, one run, one walk and one strikeout in the Arizona League this season.

Richardson said the rehab time in the AZL league has given him an opportunity to interact with and influence younger players, particularly the several Bahamian players currently in the league, including Byron Murray with the San Francisco Giants, Dario Saunders with the Cincinnati Reds and Todd Isaacs of the Cleveland Indians.

Originally drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 27th round of the 2011 draft, Richardson continued his career at American Heritage and Vanderbilt University until he was drafted for the third time, this time by the San Francisco Giants in the 35th round in 2005.

He made his MLB debut in September 2011 with the Atlanta Braves and received his second MLB call up last season in a much acclaimed 13-game stint with the New York Yankees. He signed a free agent contract with the Texas Rangers this past offseason.