Red Sox’ Adam Duvall, a Type 1 diabetic, wants to spread the word on insulin affordability
"The Type 1 community is a tight-knit community. I think if we all band together, we can get this news out there.”
For the first time in a long time, Adam Duvall feels like himself back on the baseball field.
After a torrid start to his Red Sox career in early April, the 34-year-old outfielder spent exactly two months on the shelf while recovering from a fractured left wrist.
Returning to Boston’s lineup back on June 9, Duvall’s wrist has not been hampered despite a lengthy rehab process.
“I feel like it’s pretty much back to 100%,” Duvall told Boston.com of his wrist injury. “I think that the first step in being able to come back to 100% is just having that mental freedom. … Jumping back midseason with the pitchers being obviously in midseason form is a challenge in itself. But I feel like I’m making the right strides for that.”
If the Red Sox want to orchestrate a second-half turnaround, they’ll need a healthy Duvall to continue to inject power into the heart of their order.
When Duvall is locked in and swatting pitches into the cheap seats, his wrist is not feeling the effects of multiple cracks and tears. And of course, his trusty glucose meter and insulin pump are doing their job out on the diamond.
Duvall was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes back in 2012, a life-altering diagnosis for a promising prospect looking to make a name for himself in High-A ball.
After making the necessary adjustments thanks to a structured off-field regimen and advances in sciences, Duvall has thrived in the MLB ranks for over a decade.
Such a path to the pros depended his access to insulin, a lifeline that has hindered some diabetics due to steep out-of-pocket costs.
These days, Duvall is doing what he can to raise awareness about insulin affordability solutions.
The outfielder recently partnered with Eli Lilly and Company and the American Diabetes Association (ADA) to aid in their “Tap the Cap” campaign, designed to spread the word on Lilly’s Insulin Value Program, which can automatically cap patient out-of-pocket costs for insulin at $35 or less per month.
“Having gone through trying to get insulin affordably has been tough in the past year. So partnering with Lilly in an effort to increase awareness of insulin availability and affordability is something dear to my heart,” Duvall said of joining Lilly and the ADA’s campaign. “And it’s something that I’m excited about. … I know it’s important to a lot of others. The Type 1 community is a tight-knit community. So I think if we all band together, we can get this news out there.”
Duvall’s own journey with diabetes started at a critical time in his development as a pro baseball player.
Even before he joined the San Francisco Giants’ spring-training camp in the winter of 2012, Duvall said he knew something was off. An intriguing prospect graded highly for his pop at the plate, Duvall dropped close to 20 pounds over the offseason, despite his efforts at bulking up.
“I started to lose a bunch of weight. And I was working out really hard, expecting to get these gains that I was really working for. And the weight was just falling off of me,” Duvall said of the months leading up to his diagnosis. “I felt really tired. I started having to go pee like five times a night. I had cotton mouth. I kind of did my own research a little bit and I kind of knew what was going on before I even got my blood test back.”
Testing during spring training revealed what Duvall suspected: he had Type 1 diabetes. Duvall was 23 at the time and was looking to climb his way up San Francisco’s prospect pipeline.
Even with the slew of new information, diet restrictions, guidelines and more that fell on Duvall’s lap in the wake of his diagnosis, that news gave Duvall the two things he was looking for: answers, and a plan.
“From then on, it was ‘Okay, how are we going to attack this,'” Duvall said. “And just there’s a learning curve there, right? It’s learning how to count carbs, learning which carbs affect you in certain ways and what do I need to eat before a game. What do I need to eat after a game?
“I think there’s still a learning curve. You’re always learning about it, you’re always learning different things. But I think the longer you have it, the more of a routine you can get into and it’s something that you can manage.”
Since 2012, Duvall has taken to the field with a quarter-sized glucose meter attached to his body. Another needle connects to an insulin pump that he stores in his back pocket, which helps keep his blood sugar in check.
There are still challenges that come with living — and playing baseball — with Type 1 diabetes. Duvall acknowledged that the regular shift in time zones and starting times can alter his regimented schedule when it comes to both pre and post-game meals, along with set workout routines.
At times, he says he needs to adjust his insulin dose on the field, especially if his blood sugar drops too low. A dugout snack might be needed in order to get his levels back to the proper reading.
But even with the twists and turns that come with his condition, it didn’t take long for the power once sapped from Duvall’s bat to return.
The former All-Star has slugged 167 home runs over his MLB career, playing a key role in the Braves’ 2021 World Series title. In his first three games with Boston back in late March, Duvall collected six extra-base hits.
He is one of just four Red Sox players in team history to drive in at least eight runs in Boston’s first three games of a season, joining Brock Holt (eight RBI, 2016), Bobby Doerr (nine RBI, 1941), and Ted Williams (nine RBI, 1942).
Given his visibility as a pro athlete succeeding under his conditions, spreading the word about new avenues for affordable, out-of-pocket insulin costs stood as a no-brainer.
“I remember when I first got diagnosed — I would have to pay out of pocket for insulin,” Duvall said. “It was incredible how expensive it was. So obviously with the technology, the advances and just for it to be more affordable for more people — I couldn’t imagine having to deal with this disease without insulin. I know there’s people out there that may have to do that. Hopefully we can put an end to that.”
Duvall’s return to the diamond stands as a much-needed lift for a Red Sox team looking to climb up in the AL East standings. The veteran has enjoyed his short time in Boston so far, especially on a team starting to settle into a groove thanks to a long-awaited convergence of timely hitting and steady pitching.
But beyond his role as a slugger in the middle of Boston’s batting order, Duvall enjoys his standing as a role model for the countless young athletes with diabetes looking to forge a similar path in their respective sport.
“That’s one of the most gratifying and rewarding things that I get out of this game is seeing young kids at the ballpark,” Duvall said. “And one of the things that we’ll do — they’ll take out their insulin pump and show me and I’ll take mine out while I’m out on the field.
“And that’s just a cool little interaction that I can have with them that says ‘Hey, we’re the same. We’re dealing with the same thing every single day.’ And they see me out there and hopefully I’m a good role model to them. Hopefully they can see themselves achieving whatever they want to achieve.”
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