CC Sabathia has had many transformations over the years, from ditching the crunch berries and losing a ton of weight, to lessening his alcohol consumption. This season, he has decided to sport a rather bulky accessory, a knee brace.
Sabathia will pitch with arthritis in his knee, causing a lot of pain from the two bones rubbing on each other. The 35 year old will eventually require knee replacement surgery, the consequence of being a workhorse pitcher for a decade and a half. Originally, he elected to wear only a knee sleeve, which provided more flexibility but less support.