Aaron Barrett Makes an Emotional Return to MLB

Saturday’s Major Baseball League match between the Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves on Saturday saw a few tears on the baseball ground. 31-year old Aaron Barrett made a return to the MLB after four years. The right hand reliever became emotional after he threw a scoreless inning in the big league game where Barrett was pitching for the first time since 2015.

He walked off the field emotional. He broke down in the dugout, burying his face in a towel and crying when his manager, Davey Martinez, and Nats’ pitching coach Paul Menhart consoled him.

“What a moment,” Martinez said, after the match eventually ended in a 5-4 loss. “He came in, his eyes were watery, but I was trying real hard not to cry in front of him, but it was an unbelievable moment, you know, and he shared it together, we shared it with the team, he got the bugs out, but he did great.”

“It was super emotional, obviously,” Barrett told reporters.

“You know, all the time and work and being patient, and like I said, it’s been a pretty crazy four years. And just know what I’ve put in to get back, and all the people that have supported me throughout the years through this road, just to kind of realizing that it’s actually … it’s happening. It’s happening, and it just hits you all at once.”

After last pitching in an MLB game on August 5, 2015, Barrett suffered more injuries during rehab. His comeback to the major leagues after four years of a seemingly career ending injury is truly amazing.

“You don’t want to get called up just to complete a comeback story,” Barrett had said on his comeback. “You want to earn it, and I felt like I pitched really well this year.”

His comeback would certainly be more special to him after manager said that the reliever played because of his pitching.

“He’s here because he pitched to be here,” manager Davey Martinez said. “He pitched really well. And man, what an unbelievable person, unbelievable guy, competitor. I’m very proud of what he’s gone through, and what an amazing turnaround for him. But he earned the right to be here because of what he’s done on the mound.”