Days after Jake Burger’s 4-month-old daughter, Penelope, underwent open-heart surgery, the Texas Rangers first baseman hit a 408-foot home run during an 8-0 spring training win over the Seattle Mariners.
“Man, I can’t even imagine the two days he went through and how intense it must’ve been,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy told reporters on Thursday. “It’s incredible what his young daughter, Penelope, went through.”
Penelope was born on Oct. 25 with Down syndrome, a condition where a person is born with an extra chromosome, which causes cognitive disability, physical challenges and developmental delays.
On Monday, Penelope underwent successful open-heart surgery.
“It was just an unbelievable staff, top to bottom,” Burger said via MLB.com. “I don’t envy those doctors or nurses for what they deal with on a daily basis. We go out here and play a children’s game and have fun with it. Seeing what they do every single minute of every single day, it’s pretty incredible. We’re really lucky that we had such a great team there.”
Penelopes surgery was successful!! We do not have words that express our gratitude for her surgeon Dr. Carlos Mery & her medical team here at Vanderbilt. We also want to thank you all for your prayers, they were answered & they were heard. 💙💛
— Ashlyn Burger (@AshlynCarmela) February 25, 2025
Burger joined the Rangers in the offseason and will wear No. 21 this season to raise awareness about Down syndrome. (The clinical name for Down syndrome is trisomy 21.)
Burger had been at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, for Penelope’s surgery. He rejoined the Rangers on Thursday morning and hit his first home run of the spring hours later while still wearing Penelope’s hospital bracelet on his left wrist.
“I landed at 7:40, drove straight here and got to work,” Burger said. “Maybe that’s the secret sauce there. I don’t know if I want to do that on a daily basis, but, if we need a home run, maybe? Maybe throw that in there.”
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