Braydon Fisher is back with the Toronto Blue Jays after a difficult stretch away from the team on bereavement leave.
Fisher shared that his father, Norm, 65, suffered a stroke and passed away while the family was traveling to San Francisco for the series.
Norm was on his way to check into the hotel where the Fisher family planned to watch the Blue Jays play this week.
It's the kind of news that puts a baseball season in perspective fast, and the club has offered its condolences to Fisher and his family.
Fisher had appeared in 43 games for Toronto this season before stepping away, posting a 3.33 ERA with 46 strikeouts over 46 innings out of the bullpen.
His return gives John Schneider another established arm back in the mix as the Blue Jays wrap up their series in San Francisco.
A bullpen role isn't the story here, though. A family losing a father while traveling to support their son is the only thing that matters today.
Blue Jays clubhouse welcomes Fisher back after his loss
Teammates and coaches around the Blue Jays organization have rallied around Fisher during a time nobody would wish on anyone in that clubhouse.
Bereavement leave exists for exactly this reason, giving players the space to be with family before anything related to baseball matters again.
Fisher's numbers this year, a 1.11 WHIP and six home runs allowed across those 43 outings, will matter again soon enough once he's back on a mound.
For now, the Blue Jays organization is simply glad to have him back, and the thoughts around that clubhouse are with Fisher and the Fisher family.
Baseball will go on the way it always does, but this is a reminder that the people wearing the uniform carry a lot more than a batting average or an ERA.
Should MLB expand bereavement leave policies to give players more time in situations like Braydon Fisher's?
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