Our 2022 Baseball Season: A Comeback Story

With the Minor League season now behind us, I wanted to share a recap of how our year unfolded. It wasn’t the start we had hoped for—once again, life threw us an unexpected curveball.

In January, elbow pain sent Trey back for another MRI, which revealed a UCL tear. Still less than a year removed from Tommy John surgery and not fully healed, the doctor recommended a stem cell procedure. He had that treatment on Valentine’s Day, and it meant two months of limited activity. By May, though, Trey was back to throwing a baseball!

This setback wasn’t something we anticipated, and neither of us wanted to be “stuck” in Arizona for months again. But we chose to celebrate the small victories—every time Trey hit a new milestone in his throwing program, we’d go out to eat and toast his progress. It made the weeks fly by and deepened our gratitude for his dedication and perseverance.

Summer was all about rebuilding strength and throwing bullpens. Luckily, Arizona’s heat was milder than usual—we didn’t see many days above 110 degrees. In July, Trey’s sister Dylan got married, and we were thrilled to head back to Texas for a few days to reconnect with friends and family. That time together was exactly what we needed, since we hadn’t seen anyone since April. The summer also meant three separate moves between Airbnbs around Scottsdale—by the end, we became pros at packing up our entire life in just a few hours.

August was a whirlwind, but it brought some of our most exciting memories. The biggest highlight? Trey finally returned to game action—and his first outing happened to fall on my birthday! The best present ever. After a year and a half of rehab, he was back on the mound doing what he loves. I can’t fully describe the emotions I felt watching that first game back; I was overjoyed to be in the stands cheering him on as all his hard work paid off. Then the craziness began—that same afternoon, Trey learned he’d be joining the Midland Rockhounds in San Antonio in just two days.

As thrilling as that was, it meant we had packing to do. My parents were in town for my birthday, so they helped us get organized and treated us to a birthday/sendoff dinner at Elements at the Sanctuary—a must-visit spot in Scottsdale! Perched on the side of Camelback Mountain, it offers one of the best views in Phoenix. It was the perfect way to close out our time in Arizona.

The next afternoon, we were Texas-bound. The long drive didn’t bother us one bit—we were finally leaving Arizona! Returning to San Antonio brought back memories of 2019, when Trey played for the Missions during their Triple-A days with the Milwaukee Brewers. It felt good to be somewhere familiar. After four quick days in a hotel, we hit the road again for Midland. Oil rigs, wind turbines, and more oil rigs lined the way—quite a change from the cacti we were used to. We settled into another Airbnb for the week, and a few days later, Trey made his debut as a Rockhound!

Watching him pitch again had my nerves on edge! I was so proud of him for stepping onto the mound and dominating. There’s truly nothing like the rush of emotions I feel when I see him pitch in person. After that home series, the team headed to Corpus Christi to face the Hooks, so we followed on Sunday. Monday was an off day, giving us a chance to spend a few hours at Padre Island—it felt amazing to have sand between our toes and waves at our feet. The mosquitoes were relentless, but Trey’s second outing went well, making the trip worthwhile. After that series, we returned to Midland for his final outing of the season.

During our time in Midland, we visited George W. Bush’s childhood home and the legendary Ratcliff Stadium. If you’ve never seen “Friday Night Lights”—one of my all-time favorite movies—you absolutely should! Seeing that stadium in person was incredible.

That final outing was bittersweet—we weren’t ready for the season to end. We loved being back in the heart of baseball. And I’m proud to say Trey dominated his last start, a perfect way to wrap up his time in Midland. We made wonderful friends during our short stay and can’t wait to see them again next year. Once the Double-A season wrapped up, we headed back to Arizona for two and a half weeks to complete Trey’s rehab at Instructs.

Trey officially “graduated” from rehab in early October and was cleared for a normal offseason. We were beyond grateful—it had been a grueling 18 months. He’s eager to get back to training in Tomball with his baseball buddies and gear up for Spring Training. Until then, you’ll find us soaking up time with family and friends, enjoying being home before baseball calls us back to Arizona for Spring Training 2023!

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