Jeff Passan Breaks His Back In Freak Tree Accident At The Worst Possible Time: MLB Trade Deadline

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Will Juan Soto go to New York? Will Shohei Ohtani move 30 miles west and be traded to the Dodgers? What the heck will the Cincinnati Reds do to bolster their bullpen in an 'upswing' year?

The MLB trade talk is HOT right now, and one of MLB media's most prominent insiders will play injured all the trade deadline.

Jeff Passan (Questionable) Injured, Hobbling To Aug. 1 MLB Trade Deadline

ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan apparently suffered a freak accident when a tree branch fell on him and injured his back. He recently sustained the 'vertebrae fracture' injury at his home in Kansas City.

Thankfully, Passan averted more serious injuries and even vowed to pop those painkillers through the trade deadline if he had to break big news.

Passan reluctantly shared the injury news Monday afternoon. He tweeted:

"Sorry I haven't been posting lately. During cleanup after a big storm in KC, a large tree limb decided to fall and crush me. The good news: I still have use of my arms, legs and Twitter fingers. The bad news: I have a broken back.

"The vertebra fracture will heal. I will be better. I'm hoping the pain subsides between now and the trade deadline, though painkiller-fueled tweets could be a fun time.

"To my incredible family, friends and everyone at ESPN who have been so supportive: Thank you. For the nurses, doctors and support staff at KU Med: I so appreciate your care and diligence. And to those who are so vital to helping me deliver news this time of year especially: My back may be shot, but my phone still works."

The ninth-best member in sports media, per Sports Illustrated's ranking, refuses to go on IL.

If he's braving the injury, Passan can only hope that the trade period lives up to the hype as buyers and sellers float around potential big-name trades.

The pressure is on for Passan to break the potential Shohei trade or news on whether the Mets shop Max Scherzer in a down year.

The possibilities for this year's MLB trade deadline are endless.