He almost quit baseball. Now he’s one of MLB’s best relievers as a rookie.

Cole Henry had to push through.

The mild-mannered 25-year-old missed most of 2021 and 2022 with elbow injuries — and he was later revealed to have thoracic outlet syndrome, the same affliction that ended Stephen Strasburg’s career. That led to an off-and-on 2023. So that pinch in his armpit last spring? He told himself it wasn’t an injury. Couldn’t be. And frankly, if it was, he didn’t care.