Father and Son Bond at Major League Debut

WASHINGTON — Zach Thornton had a memorable Wednesday as he spent time with his father, who is on the road to recovery from spinal surgery.

Paul Thornton had surgery on April 2 to remove part of a tumor from his spine. Unfortunately, the procedure left him with paralysis in his legs, confining him to a wheelchair. He is set to begin radiation therapy this summer.

Despite everything, his eldest son made the effort to attend his major league debut. Traveling from Chicago, where he was in rehab, he arrived just in time to see Zach pitch during the fifth inning of the Mets’ 8-4 defeat to the Nationals.

“You know, when that hitter sees a mistake, they capitalize,” Paul said, referencing CJ Abrams’ three-run homer against the Nationals. “Sure, he made one mistake, but overall, he did great.”

Zach, who got called up from Triple-A Syracuse due to Clay Holmes being sidelined with a fractured right fibula, allowed four earned runs through four hits, issued two walks, and struck out three in 4 1/3 innings. Remarkably, he retired nine of the last ten batters he faced.

“I think he settled in pretty well,” Paul mentioned. “Knowing him, he’d probably have preferred to pitch five or six innings, so he might be a bit disappointed. But Zach never loses; he just runs out of time.”

This was Paul’s first trip to Nationals Park since being in a wheelchair. He reflected on the challenges of navigating the stadium with his wife, saying, “We’re figuring it out as we go. It’s all part of life.”

Zach expressed how meaningful it was to see his father at the game. “Just seeing him sitting there in his little wheelchair is really special,” he shared.

After the game, Paul had a heartfelt message for Zach: “I told him I loved him.”

Paul remains hopeful about his recovery and aims to walk again before summer arrives, acknowledging, “My main focus right now is to be able to walk. It might take a few weeks, but I’ll get there.”