Sammy Sosa knows about a baseball injury or two and they are as old as the game itself.Pulled hamstrings, torn rotator cuffs, broken fingers—it’s all part of the grind. But what if we told you that one of baseball’s biggest sluggers once landed on the disabled list because of a sneeze? Yes, you read that right.

💨 One mighty achoo! and Sammy Sosa was out of commission.

On this episode of Pastball, we’re taking a deep dive into one of the strangest injuries in MLB history. It was 2004, and the Chicago Cubs' powerhouse Sammy Sosa—known for launching baseballs into the stratosphere—found himself sidelined by his own body. A violent sneezing fit strained his back, forcing him to miss games.

How Does a “Sneeze Strain” Even Happen?

We break down the science behind sneezing injuries, why this happens more often than you’d think, and if it’s possible to prevent a catastrophic sneeze setback (spoiler: probably not).

Is This the Strangest Injury in Baseball History?

Sosa’s unfortunate achoo-fiasco is weird, but is it the weirdest? The Pastball team has some other bizarre baseball injuries up their sleeves, from barbecue blunders to video game mishaps that cost MLB players precious time on the field.

Some injuries are unfortunate, but others are downright laughable. Whether it’s players getting hurt sneezing, trimming hedges, or even carrying deer meat upstairs (yes, that happened), baseball has no shortage of bizarre injury stories. We’ll also look at how unexpected mishaps can affect a player’s career and why seemingly small incidents can have big consequences.

⚾ Don’t miss this hilarious and jaw-dropping episode!

📲 Listen now on:
✅ Spotify
✅ Apple Podcasts
✅ Google Podcasts
✅ Wherever you get your podcasts!

👉 Subscribe, rate, and share—but maybe cover your mouth when you sneeze.

Get your merch in our store!

#SammySosa #MLB #WeirdBaseball #PastballPodcast #BaseballHistory #SportsInjuries #ChicagoCubs