Baltimore Orioles All-Star Cedric Mullins was diagnosed with Crohn's disease in 2020, he revealed in a video posted Wednesday.
Today, Cedric Mullins shares a very personal story for the first time.
— MLB Players Media (@MLBPlayersMedia) February 2, 2022
Mullins was baseball's only 30-30 player last season, and he did it while battling Crohn's disease.@cedmull30 | @CrohnsColitisFn pic.twitter.com/HoOLgpGXRx
Crohn's is an inflammatory bowel disease causing inflammation of the digestive tract. Symptoms can include abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss, and fatigue.
Mullins thought he had food poisoning in spring 2020, but the pain persisted, and he became more uneasy when Orioles teammate Trey Mancini was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in April 2020.
"I was kind of concerned because we had just gotten the word that Trey was going to be undergoing chemotherapy," Mullins said. "There was a lot of worry."
The center fielder was able to get through the pandemic-shortened season with the help of antibiotics. He appeared in 48 games in 2020, slashing .271/.315/.407 with three homers, 12 RBIs, and seven stolen bases.
In November 2020, doctors removed four-to-six inches (10-15 centimeters) of Mullins' intestines and officially diagnosed him with Crohn's. Then he developed an infection that led to him losing 20 pounds.
The harrowing experience caused Mullins to wonder if he would be able to compete on a field in 2021. "The doubts of: Will I be ready? ... Will I be able to put it all together?" he said.
Mullins was able to return, and he posted a career season in 2021. He was the only player in baseball to enter the 30-homer, 30-stolen base club and he appeared in his first All-Star Game. He finished the campaign hitting .291/.360/.518 with 30 homers, 59 RBIs, and 30 stolen bases while finishing ninth in American League MVP voting.
The 27-year-old is encouraging people to seek medical attention if they are experiencing symptoms.
"I think it's more important for people to not be afraid to get checked out," Mullins said. "That's something that I've always had a hard time doing. That tough-guy mentality, like, 'It's just a little bruise, it's not a big deal,' we constantly do it."
