Former Dodger Still Being Supported by Team Seven Years Later
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A former Los Angeles Dodger has been under contract with the team for seven years even though he hasn’t played since 2018.
Andrew Toles, an outfielder, didn’t report to spring training in 2019, an absence that later was revealed to be due to mental health issues, specifically diagnoses of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, as reported by Ed Guzman of the Los Angeles Times.
Instead of cutting ties, though, the Dodgers each year have “quietly renewed Toles’ contract so he can retain his health insurance while placing him on the restricted list so he would not take a roster spot,” Guzman explained.
What Has Andrew Toles Been Doing Recently?
Toles has continued to struggle.
He was found sleeping behind a building at Key West International Airport in 2020, and he faced a misdemeanor trespassing charge as a result, USA Today reports.
The next year, his father said Toles was in a “zombie-like” state.
”We are having challenges, but nothing that God and I can’t handle,” Alvin Toles, himself a former NFL player, told USA Today. “Schizophrenia, it’s just so tough. I mean, he can’t even watch TV. He hears voices and the TV at the same time, so it’s kind of confusing. I’ve seen him looking at some baseball games on his laptop, but I don’t think he really understands what’s going on. I just want him to have a chance in life. That’s all. Just to be healthy, live a normal life.”
What’s Next for the Dodgers and Andrew Toles?
Not much has been disclosed about Toles’ condition recently, but the team recently had to make an announcement regarding their deal with the former player and his family.
As reported by the Times, the Dodgers can’t keep renewing Toles’ contract, and the team and the family are working on “how to best move forward.”
“We’ve been in contact with the Toles family and have worked together on how to best move forward,” the Dodgers said in a statement to the Times. “Continuing with the previous setup was no longer possible due to eligibility. The Toles family has asked that Andrew’s privacy be respected. Out of respect to the Toles family, we will not comment any further.”
