Former Sox closer Jenks chronicles downfall following botched surgery
During his six seasons in uniform, Bobby Jenks was a larger than life closer who helped the White Sox win the 2005 World Series.
His life took a decided turn for the worse after leaving the White Sox and signing a two-year, $12 million contract with the Red Sox.
Jenks pitched in just 19 games for Boston in 2011 before a back injury ended his career.
In a lengthy first-person article that appeared in the Players' Tribune, Jenks chronicled the failed surgery that left him with a 15-inch surgical scar and led to an addiction to pain pills and alcohol.
Now 38 years old, Jenks sued for malpractice and was awarded a $5.1 million settlement.
The former relief pitcher hopes to prevent surgeons from performing two operations at once.
"I had the game taken away from me because of a botched back surgery in Boston that was supposed to be no big deal, because a level of care and professional expertise that I trusted to be present was not there," Jenks wrote.
In the Players' Tribune article under the headline "Scar Tissue," Jenks recalled rehabbing with the Red Sox in spring training in 2012 and being arrested after being found in only his underwear and covered in glass while sitting in a stranger's car in Fort Myers, Fla.
Looking back at that time, Jenks said he was taking "50 or 60" pain pills a day.
"It was painful and agonizing and, at times, completely embarrassing," wrote Jenks, who said he is over seven years sober. "I'm ashamed of many things I did in the past, so of course being open and honest about it was rough. But if telling my story, and putting everything out there for the world to see, helps create momentum for a movement to stop concurrent surgeries, then doing this article will be one of the greatest achievements of my life."
Heating up:
The White Sox claimed right-handed relief pitcher Tayron Guerrero off waivers from the Marlins Friday.
Designated for assignment by Miami on Monday, Guerrero was 1-2 with a 6.26 ERA in 52 games last season.
A power arm, Guerrero had an average fastball velocity of 99.4 mph during the 2019 season. According to FanGraphs, that was highest among all major-league pitchers with a minimum of 40 innings.
A 6-foot-8, 210-pounder, Guerrero is a career 2-5 with a 5.77 ERA in 113 appearances with the Marlins and Padres. The 111 strikeouts over 106 innings is impressive, but Guerrero has also issued 67 walks.
The signing increases the Sox's 40-man roster to 37.