Royals’ Dillon Gee hospitalized for blood clots, is out for season
In a scary episode, Royals pitcher Dillon Gee was hospitalized Sunday in Detroit after a doctor discovered blood clots in his lungs and shoulder, the club revealed on Tuesday afternoon.
Gee was set to return to Kansas City on Tuesday and receive further evaluation and treatment, Royals manager Ned Yost said. Gee won’t pitch in the season’s final six games.
The issues surfaced on late Sunday afternoon, when Gee experienced what Yost called “shortness of breath” during the final innings of the Royals’ 12-9 victory over the Detroit Tigers. Gee allowed two earned runs in 2 2/3 relief innings, picking up his eighth win of the season.
As the Royals packed for the trip back to Kansas City, Gee reported the symptoms to the club’s training staff.
“He started suffering from shortness of breath, which concerned the trainers,” Yost said on Tuesday. “They took him to the hospital and it was determined that he had developed a blood clot.”
According to Yost, the doctors found blood clots in Gee’s lungs and shoulders. He spent Sunday night and Monday in a Detroit hospital, in part because doctors were concerned about him flying.
“The trainers did a good job of recognizing it and taking full precautions to make sure there was no danger to him,” Yost said.
The Royals expect Gee to make a full recovery, though the incident comes just four years after he faced another scary episode.
Gee dealt with a blood clot in his shoulder in 2012 while pitching for the New York Mets. The issue eventually led to surgery.
This time, Yost said, the club felt fortunate to detect the symptoms early.
“Luckily,” Yost said. “They found what they found.”
Gee, 30, is 8-9 with a 4.68 ERA in his first season with the Royals. He spent most of the second half in the starting rotation before returning to the bullpen to make room for left-hander Jason Vargas.
Rustin Dodd: 816-234-4937, @rustindodd. Download True Blue, The Star’s free Royals app.
This story was originally published September 27, 2016 at 4:01 PM with the headline "Royals’ Dillon Gee hospitalized for blood clots, is out for season."