OAKLAND — As the Oakland A’s transactions poured in on Wednesday morning, pitcher Trevor May was to be added to the injured list. It was a move not of a physical nature, however.
The 33-year-old was placed on the 15-day IL “with issues related to anxiety.”
“It’s the right thing to do for someone that’s really struggling in terms of anxiety, in terms of what he’s dealing with,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said.
Kotsay said the team, and the organization remain supportive of May, and those who also struggle with mental health.
“For Trevor, this was the right thing, and we’re definitely very supportive,” Kotsay added.
“I think in baseball, in general right now, there’s a lot of change in the game that the guys are dealing with. It’s challenging in itself to compete every day at this level, and the pressure that we deal with. And I think that MLB, in these policies, stepping up to help create avenues to help these players deal with those issues it’s great.”
May will be away from the team during the duration of his IL stint, Kotsay said.
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He’s also not the first MLB player to take such routes.
Detroit Tigers outfielder Austin Meadows stepped away from the game twice to deal with anxiety issues of his own. Just like May, he has the support of his teammates.
“The mental health side is challenging,” Kotsay said of his time playing. “It takes a lot of courage to openly admit that and to face the reality. It, at times, can be challenging to perform. That’s our job to go out and compete, and you know — try to get through certain issues, or when it becomes too much. It takes a lot of courage for someone to step up and say anything.”
