WASHINGTON — Wednesday night was particularly special for Zach Thornton, as his father, Paul Thornton, joined him for his major league debut while on the road to recovery from spinal surgery.
Paul Thornton has been wheelchair-bound since undergoing surgery on April 2 to remove part of a tumor from his spine, which left his legs paralyzed. He is scheduled to begin radiation treatment this summer.
Despite these challenges, Paul was able to make the journey from Chicago, where he is in rehabilitation, to watch his son pitch into the fifth inning during the Mets’ 8-4 defeat to the Nationals.
Reflecting on the game, Paul Thornton remarked, “Zach made one mistake to a major league hitter,” in reference to the three-run homer by the Nationals’ CJ Abrams in the first inning. “Those batters don’t let mistakes slip by, and he made a mistake that was costly. But besides that, he performed very well.”
Called up from Triple-A Syracuse to cover for Clay Holmes, who is out with a fractured right fibula, Zach Thornton allowed four earned runs on four hits and two walks, while striking out three over 4 1/3 innings. Impressively, he managed to retire nine of the final ten batters he faced.
“I thought he settled in really well,” Paul Thornton said. “I know him. He probably wanted to go through five or six innings, so he will be disappointed about that, but Zach never loses. He just runs out of time.”
Paul Thornton’s journey to Nationals Park was his first time flying since he was confined to a wheelchair.
“It was an experience for my wife and I and learning how to travel with a wheelchair and maneuver a stadium with a wheelchair and so we’re learning all these things on the fly,” he said. “That’s OK. That is part of life.”
Zach Thornton was asked what it meant seeing his dad at the game.
“Super special just seeing him sitting there in his little wheelchair,” Zach Thornton said.
Paul Thornton visited with his son after the game, and the message was simple.
“I told him that I loved him,” Paul Thornton said.
He added that he is hopeful he will begin walking again before summer officially begins.
“Right now, my whole focus and goal is to be able to walk,” he said. “I am probably two, three weeks away from walking.”