TEMPE, Ariz. -- Al Alburquerque spent three days in a Dominican hospital last year. It was Jan. 2, 2015, and the veteran reliever had just contracted the Chikungunya virus, which was prevalent throughout the Caribbean. For two weeks, he could barely walk. For about four months, he didn't feel like himself.
"All of my joints hurt, and I couldn't prepare myself properly for the season," Alburquerque said in Spanish. "I didn't start to feel ready until we were two months into the regular season."
Alburquerque broke out in 2014, posting a 2.51 ERA in 72 appearances, but he struggled in 2015, finishing with a 4.