Ben McDonald health update: LSU legend posts positive news, released from hospital after fall

ESPN analyst Ben McDonald provided a brief health update after he was injured by falling 25 feet out of a deer stand. He tweeted the update on Sunday night.

McDonald suffered a concussion and two cracked vertebrae in his back, he had previously announced. Those injuries have left him sore, but McDonald is thankful his injuries weren’t worse.

“Thank you all for reaching out,” McDonald wrote on Twitter. “Sorry I haven’t been able to text back yet or respond on social media like I would like… appreciate everyone checking on me….I’ll be fine… still sore as hell but the Good Lord certainly had a hand in this… I’m still here! Love you guys!”

Thank you all for reaching out….sorry I haven’t been able to text back yet or respond on social media like I would like….appreciate everyone checking on me….I’ll be fine….still sore as hell but the Good Lord certainly had a hand in this….I’m still here! Love you guys! 👊 pic.twitter.com/6vFA9vovkm

— Ben McDonald (@realbenmcdonald) July 21, 2025

Ben McDonald, who calls games for the Baltimore Orioles as a color analyst, was not on the call for the team’s Friday game out of the All-Star break. McDonald noted that he has one more visit with a neurologist early this week and if all goes well he hopes to be back on the air on Friday.

Naturally, many were happy to see him return to Twitter with a positive update on Sunday night. He’s quite well liked as a broadcaster.

McDonald played for the Orioles and Milwaukee Brewers during his MLB career from 1989-97. Before that, he starred at LSU, where he put together a Hall of Fame career for the Tigers. In 1989, he won the Golden Spikes Award and set a program record with 202 strikeouts. That milestone stood until 2023 when Paul Skenes struck out 209 hitters while leading LSU to a national championship.

McDonald has worked for the Orioles since 2016 and maintains a strong presence in Omaha. He worked with Mike Monaco and Chris Burke in the booth this year calling College World Series games.

In Baltimore, Ben McDonald works alongside Kevin Brown. Ben Wagner and Jim Palmer subbed on the broadcast of Friday’s game between Baltimore and the Tampa Bay Rays, and the duo gave McDonald a shoutout.

“We’re hoping that it is a big return and a very healthy second half for our good friend, Big Ben McDonald, who took a little tumble. … He told everybody that he fell 25 feet out of his deer stand,” Wagner said on the MASN broadcast. “Landed on his back, has a severe concussion. But he told the masses just a couple of hours ago that he is on the mend and little by little, he is feeling better.”

On3’s Nick Schultz also contributed to this report.