With lengthy leg recovery complete, Garrett makes triumphant return

This story was excerpted from Jessica Camerato’s Nationals Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

WASHINGTON -- For 13 months, Stone Garrett eagerly awaited his return to the Major Leagues. He had fractured his left fibula attempting to make a catch at the right-field wall at Yankee Stadium on Aug. 23, 2023, and his big league career had been detoured by a long recovery since then.

After playing the entire season in Triple-A, Garrett flew from Rochester, N.Y., to West Palm Beach, Fla., on Sunday, where he was among the players staying ready at the Nationals’ training complex in case needed.

During his layover in Baltimore, Garrett received the long-anticipated phone call. Infielder Andrés Chaparro was going on the paternity list, and Garrett was returning to the Majors.

But before Garrett could go to Washington, D.C., he had to get his bags -- which were already on the plane to West Palm Beach. Garrett made a one-night stay in Florida to get his luggage and, after a lengthy flight delay, arrived back in D.C. for the Nationals' series against the Royals on Tuesday.

Waiting for travel was nothing compared to waiting more than a year to return to the big leagues.

“It feels like I've just got called up again,” Garrett said in the Nationals' clubhouse. “The energy's high. Seeing everybody's face, being back at a big league stadium, there’s no feeling like it. It feels great.”

Garrett, who takes pride in his strength and conditioning, required surgery for his left leg and ankle. The reality of his recovery was hard to let sink in.

“You go from being in the MLB -- a top athlete in your sport -- to having your mom wrap your leg so you can go shower,” Garrett said. “So that was kind of demoralizing.”

Garrett’s mother traveled to Washington, D.C., to help with the recovery process. He thought he would only need her assistance for a few days; his mother knew better.

“[She stayed for] three weeks,” Garrett said. “I was like, ‘I’ll be fine after a weekend.’ I’m glad [she stayed] because the pain I went through for a month after was brutal. I wish that on nobody.”

Through his mother’s presence early on to the continued encouragement throughout the recovery process and even once he was back on the field, Garrett earned a new appreciation of leaning on others.

“It taught me that it's more than just me,” Garrett said. “I needed people to support me, because the days that I was just down on myself and I would tell myself, ‘This is it, you’re never going to make it up there again,’ my teammates would kick me in my butt, my friends would kick my butt, my parents would just tell me, ‘Keep going, don't give up.’ So I think having that support system, I never realized how important it was to have people backing you.”

Though playing on different levels this year, the close friendship Garrett formed with starting southpaw MacKenzie Gore last season on the Nationals remained strong.

“[He was] a brutally honest critic, very blunt,” Garrett said. “MacKenzie and I talked four or five times a week [over] FaceTime. Him telling me to do more stretches -- literally, ‘Why don’t you just do more stretches,’ stuff like that. MacKenzie was definitely a top supporter.”

Garrett appeared in 79 games between the Red Wings and Harrisburg Senators this season, including 41 contests after July 3 in which he batted .311 with 11 doubles, three home runs, 14 RBIs, 20 runs and 15 walks. Garrett had to adapt to his recovery process while still getting on the field. He added in extra movement and mobility exercises to keep his leg warm and to fight inflammation.

“I feel good,” Garrett said. “I learned how to manage it, learned how to work it, move it around to where I can play two, three, four days in a row.”

With the remaining games in the season, Garrett could see an opportunity for playing time in left field or as the designated hitter.

“He’s worked really hard,” manager Dave Martinez said. “When that injury occurred, it was pretty nasty. … He’s taken a long time to really get it right, so to have him come back here and [be] with us for a few days, it’s awesome.”