MLB Closer Daniel Bard Is Relieved He Can Be Public About His Anxiety

Colorado Rockies closer Daniel Bard started the 2023 season on the injured list, citing anxiety.

"Mental health stuff – it's affected me a little bit on the field, a little bit off the field," Bard said of the decision, per MLB.com. "It's not all the time. Most of the time, I'm great and feel pretty normal. It's just something that came on a few weeks ago, mostly, that I noticed was starting to have an effect on my ability to do my job."

Bard's major league career has been quite a journey. After spending five years in the big leagues with the Boston Red Sox from 2009-2013, Bard was sent back down to the minors, where he would jump between teams until 2020 when he made a comeback with the Rockies. He was named NL Comeback Player of the Year that season.

Bard also recently played in the World Baseball Classic as a part of Team USA. During the tournament, he hit Astros star infielder Jose Altuve in the hand, resulting in a fractured right hand.

According to Bard, whose career has shown him every side of professional baseball, struggles with anxiety are likely much more common across major league baseball than we know.

"If we were to ask the 52 active players in today's game and go across the other 14 games, there's a lot of guys [with anxiety]," Bard said. "I applaud the players who come forward, and I applaud baseball for accepting."

Bard added that it was a weight off his shoulders to have the reason for his absence out in the open.

"If I was out there running around with a hamstring pull, people figure things out. Then you got people whispering about it. What's really wrong?" Bard said. "I'd rather get out in front of it. In an odd way, it coming out was hard, but once it's out, it's OK. It's healthy. It's not a big secret."

Professional athletes have only recently become more open about their struggles with mental health issues.

Basketball player Tyrell Terry, 22, announced late last year that he was retiring after two seasons in the NBA, citing his mental health. Former Chargers safety Nasir Adderley made a similar decision this offseason.

While Bard isn't retiring from baseball, he is taking time away to get his mind right. According to MLB.com, he will remain with the team as he steps away from playing.