ESPN’s top MLB insider, Jeff Passan, explained Monday why he’d gone quiet online, announcing that he recently broke his back after a massive tree limb crashed down on him in Kansas City, Missouri, where he lives. Passan said he was cleaning up debris after a storm when the freak accident occurred—sending him to the University of Kansas Medical Center. Passan appeared to be in good spirits despite his situation, joking that he plans to turn the culprit tree limb into a baseball bat, and that he intends to still tweet out news about the MLB trade deadline as he loads up on painkillers. “My back may be shot, but my phone still works,” he said. Passan didn’t say when the incident occurred, but he hadn’t posted since July 13 prior to his announcement—a four-day lull that’s uncharacteristic for Passan in the heart of baseball season.