On eve of 43rd birthday, Colon told catcher he wasn't swinging
Hampered by soreness in his back since his home run heard 'round the world May 7, Bartolo Colon had no intention of swinging the bat Monday night in D.C. on the eve of his 43rd birthday.
The beloved New York Mets right-hander even made that clear to Wilson Ramos, the Washington Nationals' catcher, ahead of his first plate appearance in his club's eventual 7-1 victory.
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"I thought it wasn't worth it to swing," Colon told ESPN's Adam Rubin through an interpreter. "I swing at the balls pretty hard, and I thought it’s not worth making my back worse. I told their catcher from the beginning, 'Just throw it right down the middle. I'm not swinging.' After that first at-bat, they threw me a changeup. I was like, 'No, I promise you. Throw it right down the middle. I'm not going to swing.'"
Though his ailing back made him a non-factor at the plate - well, as much as Bartolo Colon can be a non-factor anywhere - the oldest player in the major leagues looked perfectly comfortable on the mound, allowing just one run over seven strong innings en route to his first victory since the day he went yard in San Diego.
That epic two-run blast, by the way, remains Colon's only hit of 2016 so far, as the career .090 hitter is just 1-for-17 (.059) in his 10 starts.
Related: Watch: Colon's blast gets 'The Natural' treatment
"Early in the game, he complained about a stiff back,” manager Terry Collins said. "He was getting ready to start at 7, and the rubdowns and all the other stuff they go through start to wear off after a while. So he got some treatment during the game. He felt fine. He said, 'I'm not going to hit a homer tonight. I’m probably going to take it easy at the plate.' He's fine. Just when he came off in the seventh inning [at 90 pitches], he said, 'That's good.'"