Ex-Phillie, 1993 NL champ in hospital after suffering stroke, out of ICU

Former Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets outfielder Lenny Dykstra is recovering in a Los Angeles area hospital after suffering a stroke earlier this week. The 61-year-old is out of ICU and has been communicating with friends and former teammates.

Dykstra took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to thank his friends and fans for their support over the last week following the health scare.

According to a report from the New York Post's Mike Puma, former Mets teammates Daryl Strawberry and Kevin Michell have spoken to Dykstra and say the three-time former All-Star and 1986 World Series champion is alert and communicating without issue.

“He knew it was me, so that is always a good sign,” said Strawberry, per Puma. “He’s in the process of recovering.”

“He’s laying down, but he is being Lenny,” Mitchell added, per Puma. “We get to an age now where we have got to take care of ourselves. I told him he has to take more care of himself. You can’t let stress bother you. He’s been through a lot. I love him with all my heart.”

Legal issues have plagued the 1993 NL Champ in recent years

The hard-nosed Dykstra, known affectionately by his nickname "Nails" by fans and former teammates, was a central figure on the beloved 1993 team that faced the Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series. Dykstra, along with teammates Mitch Williams, John Kruk, Darren Daulton, and Curt Schilling, won over the region with their blue-collar antics and gritty play on the field.

Off the field has been a struggle for Dykstra since he retired. In 2007, Dykstra was a player named in the Mitchell Report, an investigation into players who were connected to steroid use before the implementation of testing for banned substances became common practice in the game of baseball.

Dykstra filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2009 and later served jail time for bankruptcy fraud in 2013. Shortly before being convicted of fraud, Dykstra was arrested and charged with grand theft auto and possession of drug paraphernalia in June 2011.

In 2018, Dykstra was again arrested and charged with making third-degree terrorist threats in a dispute with an Uber driver. The charges were later dropped.

And in November of 2023, Dykstra again made headlines when he faced eviction for failing to pay tens of thousands owed in back rent on a luxury property he was leasing.

Over the course of eight seasons with the Phillies, Dykstra was selected to all three of his All-Star teams and hit .289 with 51 home runs and 251 RBI while stealing 169 bases in 734 games.

I think I speak for all Phillies fans in hoping Lenny makes a full recovery and is able to resolve some of the issues that he has faced in recent years.