Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan is the first name that comes to mind when you think of a “flu game.” He got some company Wednesday, as Chicago White Sox pitcher Adrian Houser returned to the mound despite puking in the dugout between innings.
The incident occurred following the first inning of Wednesday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays. After hurling a scoreless top of the first, Houser hurled up the contents of his stomach in the dugout.
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Even so, he returned to the mound for the second inning, where the Blue Jays might have taken advantage of Houser’s situation. Toronto managed a run off Houser in the frame thanks to a well-placed bunt by Tyler Heineman. The bunt forced Houser off the mound to try to make a defensive play, but he couldn’t get his glove on the ball cleanly, allowing the run to score.
It’s unclear whether Houser was ill … because puking during games is kind of his thing. Wednesday marked at least the third time in his career that Houser has thrown up during a game but continued pitching. The first two instances occurred when he was a member of the Milwaukee Brewers.
In 2018, Houser vomited twice on the mound during an inning against the Philadelphia Phillies. He allowed a run on two doubles in the inning. Following that contest, then-manager Craig Counsell said Houser wasn’t sick, but a combination of the heat, not eating enough food and nerves resulted in his throwing up multiple times on the field.
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The following year, Houser did it again. During a game vs. the Texas Rangers, he threw up in the first, just four batters into the contest. He remained in the game, striking out 10 batters to lead the Brewers to a win.
Houser was effective on Wednesday despite his stomach problems. He ended up going seven innings, allowing one run and seven hits with two walks and two strikeouts. It continues yet another strong start to the season for the 32-year-old, who came into the game with a 1.60 ERA over 50 2/3 innings.
