Anne Rogers writes that Gavin Cross is ready for a breakout season.
As he was beginning his Double-A stint, Cross fell ill with a 103 degree temperature and mental and physical fatigue. After three separate trips to the emergency room, doctors finally diagnosed Cross with a serious tick-borne illness called Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
Cross was immediately treated with antibiotics, but the disease left him wiped out and ended up wrecking the rest of his season. While sick, he wasn’t able to run or throw, and he didn’t swing a bat for almost two months.