Simmons left Angels in final week due to depression, suicidal thoughts
Andrelton Simmons told Jeff Fletcher of the Southern California News Group on Tuesday that he left the Los Angeles Angels during the final week of the 2020 season because he was dealing with depression and thoughts of suicide.
The 31-year-old shortstop, who signed with the Minnesota Twins last week, said that he's battled depression and suicidal thoughts since childhood. He made no attempt to end his life in September.
"It was tough for me mentally to where the thought of suicide crossed my mind," Simmons wrote to Fletcher in a series of Twitter direct messages. "It was something I vowed a long time ago I would never consider again. I was fortunate to talk to a therapist, which helped me let go of those thoughts.
"At the end, when a lot of people were still going through what most would think of as tough times, the idea of finishing the season in a bubble (for COVID-19 safety purposes in advance of the Angels' potential playoff appearance) was too much for me to handle."
Playing baseball through the COVID-19 pandemic took a toll on Simmons mentally. Like everyone in baseball, he was essentially confined to hotel rooms on road trips when not at the ballpark and was subjected to daily testing for the virus. Seeing people struggle through the health crisis outside of the baseball world caused him a great deal of hurt.
Simmons opted out of the Angels' final five games last September while they were fighting for a playoff spot. He didn't give an explanation for his decision at the time.
"I was really saddened by how much I was hearing about the death toll, and seeing how smaller businesses were going out of business, and I was a little depressed at how the effects of all the new rules and fears were gonna affect people's livelihoods and how disconnected people were becoming," Simmons said.
He added: "There's a lot more that happened but I don't think my whole life should be put on for everyone to judge. I wasn't more open with this because I don't like the idea of having to explain every detail of my life."
Simmons said he decided to make his story public in the hopes that he could help others who are battling mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.
The Curacao native has played nine seasons in the major leagues, the last five with Los Angeles.