Matt York / Associated Press
New Minnesota Twins shortstop Andrelton Simmons chose not to participate in the last week of the 2020 season for the Los Angeles Angels amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Tuesday, he told Jeff Fletcher about the Orange County Register in a series of direct messages on Twitter that he made because of the depression and suicidal thoughts he experienced since his youth:
“It was difficult for me mentally where the thought of suicide crossed my mind. It was something I swore a long time ago that I would never consider again. I was fortunate enough to speak to a therapist, which helped me to forget those thoughts. In the end, when many people were still going through times that many would find difficult, the idea of ending the season in a bubble was too much for me to take. “
Simmons, a four-time Gold Glove winner who signed a $ 10.5 million one-year contract with the Twins over the weekend, said he would like to speak openly about his own situation to help others.
“Now, seeing how more and more people are struggling with depression, anxiety and suicide, I thought it would be time to share a little piece of my story,” he wrote. “I was afraid of people judging and distorting my story.”
Seeing other people’s struggles during the pandemic – along with Major League Baseball demanding a more intense quarantine for teams still in the playoff contest in the last week of the season – led Simmons to a decision not to play the Angels’ final games.
“I was very sad at how much I heard about the death toll,” he said, “and seeing how small businesses were closing and I was a little depressed about how the effects of all the new rules and fears would affect people’s livelihood and how disconnected people were becoming. “
Several athletes have spoken publicly about mental health struggles, from Kevin Love and DeMar DeRozan in the NBA and Dak Prescott and Hayden Hurts in the NFL to swimmer Michael Phelps and MLB player Drew Robinson.