It was supposed to be a routine day for the Texas Rangers—until disaster nearly struck. Just hours before his highly anticipated first home start, veteran pitcher and world champion Patrick Corbin found himself in a situation that could’ve sidelined him indefinitely. The reason? A venomous spider bite that left him barely able to walk.
Two days before the game, Corbin had been at teammate Max Scherzer’s house, playing with his kids in the backyard. That’s when it happened. A bite. At first, it didn’t seem like much. But by game day, his ankle was so swollen, he struggled just to make it to the clubhouse. The outlook was grim. Even Corbin himself didn’t think he could take the mound. “It was really bad in the morning; I wasn’t sure if I was going to throw,” he later admitted.
But somehow, against the odds, he did. And what followed was nothing short of shocking.
Corbin delivered one of his sharpest performances in years—5⅓ innings, five hits, one run allowed. It was the first time he had retired 16 or fewer batters across five innings since 2018. In a moment where most players would’ve sat out, Corbin didn’t just show up—he dominated.
It wasn’t just a comeback. It was a message. Injured or not, this was a statement to the league—and a reminder of the kind of competitor Corbin still is.
The Rangers walked away with a 3-1 win over the Angels. But the bigger story was the man who nearly didn’t play—and ended up stealing the night.
