Dr. Anthony Fauci wishes he could have his disastrous first pitch back. Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Dr. Anthony Fauci: 'I completely destroyed my arm' days before first pitch for Nationals

Dr. Anthony Fauci's first pitch on Opening Day in Washington is one he'd probably rather forget. 

The coronavirus expert tossed a horrible ceremonial first pitch prior to the Nationals game against the New York Yankees last week, but he apparently has an excuse. 

Fauci claims he went to a high school just days before throwing out the first pitch to play catch for the first time in decades and he injured his throwing arm by doing so. 

"I completely destroyed my arm," the 79-year-old told Ben Cohen of The Wall Street Journal. "My arm was hanging down around my shoes.

"Instead of doing my normal motion of just lobbing the ball, which would've been the best thing to do, I thought, 'Oh, baby, I better put a lot of different oomph into it,'" Fauci continued. "And I did. And you saw what happened."

Even though Fauci's pitch was hideous, Topps is honoring the coronavirus expert by creating a trading card dedicated to him. It was available for just 24 hours on the Topps website and is a limited-edition card.

Fauci, a lifelong Nationals fan, also sparked criticism after a photo of him surfaced at Nationals Park without a mask on. He's been advocating for the use of masks since the pandemic began, and people were outraged when they saw him not wearing one.

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST
Timberwolves mount incredible second-half comeback to stun Nuggets in Game 7
Watch: NASCAR drivers exchange punches after crash in All-Star Race
Knicks star offers passionate defense of HC Tom Thibodeau after Game 7 loss
Xander Schauffele proves doubters wrong with historic win at 2024 PGA Championship
Canucks won't have linchpin forward for Game 7 vs. Oilers
Pacers ride historic shooting performance to Game 7 blowout of Knicks
Watch: Aaron Judge blasts 13th home run in Yankees' seventh straight win
Knicks' Jalen Brunson suffers serious injury in Game 7 vs. Pacers
Phil Foden lifts Manchester City to fourth consecutive English Premier League title
Dodgers add recently acquired left-hander to active roster
Report: 2023 No. 7 pick expected to terminate KHL contract, join Flyers
Mavericks advance to Western Conference Finals aided by controversial call late
Connor McDavid, Oilers hammer Canucks to force Game 7
Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk epic increases excitement for potential rematch
Seize the Grey wins in muddy Preakness
Even Mike Budenholzer admits the Suns need a point guard
Watch: Juan Soto's first multi-homer game as a Yankee
Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa lead at PGA Championship
Knicks could get major boost for Game 7 showdown with Pacers
Giants All-Star pitcher suffers setback in recovery from injury