Less than a week after the San Francisco Giants put Aubrey Huff on the disabled list with an anxiety disorder, the first baseman released a statement to his fans.
Huff has been away from the team since last Monday's double-header in New York. On Monday and Tuesday, manager Bruce Bochy said that Huff was away on a "personal matter."
Bochy said Huff was getting treatment and would meet with the team Friday when they got back to San Francisco.
But before Wednesday's game it was revealed that Huff was suffering from anxiety. And just before the Giants' took to the field Friday, Huff released a three paragraph statement through the team:
"Thank you to the fans, media and Giants organization for the outpouring of support during this very difficult week," Huff's statement began. "I'm especially grateful for the texts and calls from my teammates, who are like my brothers and have let me know they're here for me.
"My goal is to get back on the field as soon as possible. To do that, I have to focus completely on getting well. I know I'm in a public job, and I've been one of the more open guys. But sometimes you have to pull back and work on things in private. This is one of those times.
"I appreciate your understanding and patience."
Bochy did not indicate whether the cause of the anxiety was personal or baseball related. Huff has been in a hitting slump and was reportedly mortified that he was asked to play second base against the Mets.
Huff, 35, was batting .182 with one home run and four RBIs in 12 games with the Giants.
