Tim Tebow set out on a difficult journey to play Major League Baseball.
After limited success in the NFL, Tebow saw an opportunity to pick up baseball after a long hiatus from the sport.
Tebow defied expectations and showed decent promise in the minors last year, but he just suffered a big setback that could be difficult to overcome.
Tebow played better than most would’ve expected as he flashed some power in the minors. He had a chance to play for the Mets during spring training, but it did not go well at all.
From The New York Post:
Tim Tebow had no illusions about breaking camp with the Mets, but his only regret was he couldn’t put his best foot forward.
Almost literally.
The former Heisman Trophy winner, who has been bothered by a sprained left ankle for much of spring training, was among the players demoted to minor league camp Tuesday in the first wave of cuts.
“It’s not like it was a shock,” said Tebow, who was batting .056 with 11 strikeouts in 18 at-bats in the exhibition season. “They have been super honest the whole time. We have great relationships and conversations, so it’s not like, ‘Oh my gosh.’”
Though the 30-year-old Tebow has been reassigned to the minors, he can still make cameos in Grapefruit League games for the Mets. Tebow is among those listed on the travel squad to face the Marlins on Wednesday, but indicated he hasn’t been told for sure he is still going.
Tebow has been limited to a DH role after spraining his ankle last month when he tripped on a sprinkler head in the outfield during drills.
“Unfortunately, I couldn’t do as much with my ankle as I wanted to, which is kind of disappointing,” Tebow said. “But I got to put in a lot of good work and I am feeling I am improving, so that is good.”
Tebow is expected to begin the season at Double-A Binghamton after splitting last season between Single-A Columbia and High-A St. Lucie. Recently, general manager Sandy Alderson indicated he expects Tebow to reach the major leagues.
“That’s definitely the goal, so it will just be putting in work every day and hopefully one day you get that opportunity,” Tebow said. “But you can’t be focused on just the end result, it’s got to be on every day, on the process, going back every day and looking at film. Just having the long-term mindset with a here-and-now focus, and that is something I have had my entire baseball time and I will continue to do that.”
While Tebow will get another shot in the minor leagues, going 1-18 with 11 strikeouts against big-league talent may not bode well for his long-term baseball prospects.
As Tebow ages, the uphill battle will only get steeper.
However, Tebow has a relentless work ethic, so it would be foolish to count him out before it’s over.