It’s been nearly a month since the infamous Hunter Strickland-Bryce Harper brawl, but the player who’s missed the most time may not even remember why.
Michael Morse, who sustained the worst injuries from the brawl after colliding with teammate Jeff Samardzija, revealed that he barely remembers the incident. Morse suffered concussion symptoms that day and still does, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. He feels much better, but still has lingering symptoms such as headaches and dizziness when his heart raises. He drives to Stanford every day for testing.
Bryce Harper vs Hunter Strickland Brawl in slow-mo. Both got in a good punch. Harper suspended 4 games, Strickland 6 pic.twitter.com/h7JRzeYaRY
— Ron Futrell (@RonFutrell) May 31, 2017
Before his injury, Morse was one of the few feel-good stories the Giants provided in 2017. Now, there’s question on whether the fan favorite will ever play again.
There’s no timetable for when or even if Morse will return to the Giants. Concussions can be tricky, and beyond that — there may not be room for 35-year-old Morse on a last-place Giants team that is slowly switching over to their youth.
Regardless, Morse remains adamant on wanting to stay with the team, as he told the Chronicle.
“You know me,” Morse said. “Whatever happens, happens. I’m a happy-go-lucky guy. I’m happy to be with these guys. They’re going through such hard times. I want to be with them, if not on the field, then off the field, helping them mentally if not physically.”
Should it come to that point, the Giants are familiar with career-ending concussions. Former catcher Mike Matheny, the now manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, suffered that fate with the Giants in 2006.