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Robinson Cano says he's been battling a stomach illness for nearly a year
Robinson Cano hasn't played like a $24 million man this season for the Seattle Mariners. He's hitting .248, far below his career batting average of .306, with five homers and 27 RBIs. He's one of the reasons the Mariners are a disappointing 38-44 and in fourth place in the AL West.
As it turns out, though, this isn't a run-of-the-mill baseball slump. Nor is it a typical decline for a former star. Cano, 32, admitted to USA Today's Jorge L. Ortiz, in a Spanish-language interview, that he's been battling a stomach problem for almost a year and the results have been draining.
Cano was in the midst of his sixth All-Star season last year when he started experiencing stomach discomfort in August. With the Mariners in the playoff chase, he didn't get it checked until their season was over, in October. Cano said he was told he had a common parasite, which was treated with antibiotics, but he was left with acid reflux to this day.
"It still affects me," Cano said. "Sometimes you drink water and it makes you feel like vomiting. I can't eat the same way I did. It's hard to deal with, especially being the first time this has happened to me. Sometimes I eat only once a day before playing, because I feel full. And you just don't have the same energy."
Cano told USA Today that he's been reluctant to speak publicly about his health problems because he doesn't want to make excuses. Making changes to his diet and taking medicine haven't solved it either, Cano says. Again, from USA Today:
An avid seafood eater, Cano has eliminated red meat from his menu because it takes long to digest, and the acid reflux delays the digestive process. Despite diet changes and medication, the condition persists.
"Sometimes I play without any strength or energy, but you have to play, give the best of yourself,'' Cano said. "Some people may say, 'Cano, he's listless.' But (the energy) is not the same."
Stomach issues can hurt — and they can make it make harder to focus if the pain is persistent. This obviously isn't as simple as taking a daily pill that Larry the Cable Guy is advertising and asking Cano go about his business. To add to his tough season, Cano tells Ortiz that the death of his grandfather — who Cano describes as a second father — has been weighing on him since March.
From a baseball standpoint, the Mariners need Cano at full ability like yesterday. They put together a team around Cano that many thought would contend this year and into the future. They've all but fallen out of the AL West race for this season. But the concern is bigger than that. He's a long-term investment in Seattle, with $24 million coming his way each year until 2023.
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Mike Oz is the editor of Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at mikeozstew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz
