ESPN broadcaster has inappropriate reaction to Astros' Framber Valdez's struggles

In the top of the second inning of Game 1 of the American League Wild Card series, Framber Valdez found himself in a jam.

The Houston Astros' staff ace had just given up his first hit of the game, a single to Detroit Tigers rookie Wenceel Pérez, but a subsequent walk and fielder's choice gave him runners at the corners with a pair of outs. Valdez proceeded to give up back-to-back RBI singles to Jake Rogers and Trey Sweeney.

Then, with two balls, two strikes, two outs and two runners on base, Valdez gave up a third straight hit – another RBI single – to Matt Vierling. He struck out the next batter he faced, Justyn-Henry Malloy, to end the inning, but only after digging the Astros into a 3-0 hole early.

After Sweeney's single, Valdez received a mound visit from Astros pitching coach Josh Miller. During the visit, ESPN broadcasters Michael Kay and Tim Kurkjian observed Valdez's tendency to struggle in high leverage situations when things begin to unravel as quickly as they had in this outing. Kurkjian said that Valdez had been seeing a sports psychologist before chuckling and flippantly adding, "and he needs him now!"

It was a passing comment and one that could have been easily overlooked. But those who did hear it were left wondering, did he really just say that on national television?

Kurkjian's statement wasn't incorrect; Valdez has, in fact, been seeing a sports psychologist for several years. Most major professional athletes do. But to make light of any player's mental health and turn it into a pithy punch line is inexcusable.

ESPN's Tim Kurkjian making light of Astros' Framber Valdez's mental health is inappropriate and unacceptable

Professional athletes are, above all, human beings. As such, they are subject to any and all mental factors that can impact athletic performance and their well-being. Valdez has been a vocal advocate for athletes' mental health ever since 2020, when his struggles on the mound prompted him to seek the help of Dr. Andy Nuñez and the Astros' mental skills group in the Dominican Republic.

“He means a lot to me,” Valdez said of Nuñez back in 2022 (via Brian McTaggart of MLB.com). “I think I owe about 75 percent of my career to him. He taught me a lot about discipline, how to control my emotions and just staying engaged and staying focused.”

By actively working to hone his mental skills, Valdez has gone through failure and frustration to learn resilience, transforming himself from an unwanted prospect from the Dominican Republic into a reliable MLB starter, a two-time All-Star and a World Series champion with the Astros in 2022.

Valdez's prioritization of his mental health is not a sign of weakness, as Kurkjian's remarks seem to suggest. It's the result of continued work and effort to be the best pitcher – and person – he can be. Perhaps it was just an errant comment, but that's precisely the point; let's stop treating mental health and well-being as an afterthought and start treating it with some more reverence and respect.

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