CC Sabathia Undergoes Angioplasty, Expected to Be ‘Okay’

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New York Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia recently underwent heart surgery but is expected to be okay, according to the team’s General Manager, Brian Cashman. The news was reported on Friday afternoon, about one month after Sabathia’s procedure.

Sabathia was quick to reach out to the medical staff after experiencing symptoms including acid reflux and heartburn. Had he not sought medical attention, it’s possible that he could have suffered a heart attack in the weeks that followed.

“We are thankful that CC was smart enough to convey his symptoms to our medical staff, and in turn, they immediately engaged New York-Presbyterian Hospital, who quickly determined the root cause of what ailed him. We are also encouraged that the procedure CC underwent was performed as planned. He is such a dynamic person beyond his excellence on the field, and we will proceed with his health at the forefront of our priorities. We will continue to follow the guidance and expertise of the doctors — who have conveyed that CC will report as scheduled to Tampa in February to prepare for the 2019 season,” Cashman said in a statement.

Sabathia, 38, needed an angioplasty to clear a blocked artery. You can read more about the procedure and how it is done by clicking here.

According to the Athletic, both the long and short-term prognosis for Sabathia is “excellent,” and he is expected to be heading to Tampa, Florida, for Spring Training with the rest of his team in the new year.

“CC was experiencing some chest pain which turned out to be a blockage in one artery to his heart. A procedure was done to insert a stent to clear the blockage on Dec. 11. CC is doing great and will be reporting to spring training on time to get ready to play for his upcoming final season in 2019,” Sabathia’s agent, Kyle Thousand, told the Athletic.

Sabathia inked a one-year, $8 million deal with the Yankees last month. Last season, Sabathia finished with a 3.65 ERA over 29 starts.

He is scheduled for a stress test on January 8.