When you were away for the game, what was going through your mind? What was that thought process, and what was the situation that kind of allowed you to get ready to be back into this world?

I think just talking with my family and close people around me.

Just like at the time, it was hard for me to...

I didn't have the same confidence like I did kind of when I was back playing, and I just kind of lost that, and...

I thought it was the right decision just to get away from the game and just kind of get a taste of life a little bit, just away from the game and kind of just see what that's like and just get my head straight and figure that out.

But I think taking that time has helped a lot just to regroup and see things differently and stuff like that.

But I think I've always had the baseball.

For guys that have gone through a lot of injuries like yourself, what would be your advice to someone to kind of persevere and to continue to maintain that confidence in yourself?

Enjoy this podcast.

Hey, what's up, everybody? This is Carson Tucker, your friend from work, coming at you.

And I hope that you are having a wonderful day.

How could you not be? It's central Appalachia.

I bet the sun's shining, or if it's not, it will be soon.

The trees are green.

It's summer.

What have they provided that have allowed you to have success?

I mean, honestly, just like they just let me be me.

They, they, I mean, obviously they're guiding me in the right direction and giving me things here and there and obviously doing their job.

But I think just letting me be myself and enjoying it every day and just kind of letting the game do its thing.

You know, it's, it, it gets kind of crazy and, um, Things start to go fast when you start thinking it otherwise, but it's just like the same game when you were playing when you were 5 years old, 10 years old or whatever.

So you kind of just got to treat it like that and just whatever happens, happens and not look too deep into it and just try to enjoy it and just obviously be around a good group of guys and just having fun.

I was just going to ask you about this group and what you've enjoyed the most about being with them, the chemistry that you guys have built.

Yeah, I mean, it's been special.

the situation that kind of allowed you to get ready to be back into this world?

I think just talking with, like, my family and close people around me.

Just, like, at the time, it was hard for me to...

I didn't have the same confidence like I did kind of when I was back playing, and I just kind of lost that, and...

I thought it was the right decision just to, like, get away from the game and just kind of get a taste of life a little bit, just away from the game and kind of just see what that's like and just get my head straight and figure that out.

But I think taking that time has helped a lot just to regroup and see things differently and stuff like that.

But I think I've always had the baseball.

How did that opportunity come along with the Padres?