This is not the season Tommy Kahnle wanted.
The jovial right-hander had plenty of reasons to be excited. His New York Yankees entered 2020 as the World Series favorites after signing Gerrit Cole to boost the pitching staff. Kahnle himself was expected to be a key member of the team’s legendary bullpen. After posting a 3.67 ERA last year, further success was expected in the new season.
Then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and baseball shut down for four months. Kahnle made it through summer camp and struck out the side in his lone appearance against the Washington Nationals.