Philadelphia Phillies minor leaguer Daniel Brito collapsed on the field in July of 2021 during a game between the Lehigh Valley IronPigs and Rochester Red Wings.
The then 23-year-old was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery after experiencing a brain hemorrhage in the bottom of the first inning at Frontier Field in Rochester. It was later learned that Brito suffered a ruptured arteriovenous malformation, which is the abnormal tangle of blood vessel connecting arteries and veins, disrupting normal blood flow and oxygen circulation.
He spent 59 days in the intensive care unit at University of Rochester’s Strong Memorial Hospital, and over the last year, has miraculously began to participate in baseball activities again, such as hitting, fielding, and weight-lifting. Brito has been rehabbing in Columbus, Ohio.
On Sept. 15, the Red Wings will welcome Brito back to Frontier Field, where he will be reunited with Dr. Thomas Mattingly, the lead surgeon on his brain surgery, and the other doctors who helped save his life last year. Brito, alongside the University of Rochester Medical Center team, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
It is sure to be an emotional day for Brito and his IronPigs teammates, who will face the Red Wings that evening.
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