Despite playing 113 games for the Chicago Cubs in 2022, Christopher Morel returned to the minor leagues this season. He was disappointed but made the best of the situation, hitting 11 home runs in 29 games for the Triple-A Iowa Cubs.

His upbeat attitude caught the attention of Jed Hoyer, the team president, and he was called up to the majors in early May. Hoyer recently told The Athletic, “I’ve been around a lot of guys that sulk, they go down, and we have to wait a couple of weeks before they start playing well. For him, it was like day one. That says a lot about his character. He just likes to play. He always wants to be playing, and I think he showed that.”

Morel went deep in his first game back with the Cubs. Then he hit home runs in five straight games, a streak that ended in a 4-2 win over the New York Mets. The 23-year-old became the first player in franchise history to begin a season with eight home runs in 11 games and has collected at least one hit in all 13 games he’s appeared in. He’s hitting .358 since being called up.

It would be a heartening story for any player hoping to get a second chance in the major leagues. The fact that Morel is putting on a show makes it extra extraordinary because of how close his career came to an end before it got started. Morel was born and raised in the Dominican Republic of Santiago and signed by the Cubs as an amateur free agent in 2015.

In December 2015, Morel took a bus from the Cubs’ complex in Santo Domingo to Santiago. The bus stopped at a cafeteria, and Morel got off to get something to eat. He noticed the bus had started to leave, but the cafeteria door was jammed. The glass door shattered when he tried to push it open. Glass flew at him, and shards cut through nerves in his left arm and near his left eye. He was rushed to the hospital and into surgery.

5 straight games with a homer?!

Morel of the story: This guy rakes. pic.twitter.com/DtcwLhLIsi

— MLB (@MLB) May 24, 2023

Morel immediately thought that his baseball career was over and went to the doctor to see if there was any hope. When the doctor said “no,” the news crushed him. Still, one of the Cubs’ trainers, José Álvarez, found Morel sobbing in the bathroom. Álvarez said something Morel still reminds himself of today when he’s going through challenging times: “Todo lo puedes en Cristo, que me fortaleza — I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13).”

Morel said last year, “When I have my lows, I remember I was at a bottom so low, one that I thought I would never get out of. And I see where I’m at, and I keep fighting for my dreams, and thanks to God, I’m achieving them.” He made his major league debut in May 2022 after getting called straight from Double-A. In an interview with Marquee Sports Network, Morel praised God for the chance to realize his dream.

He said, “I didn’t believe it. But it’s a blessing. I will always thank, firstly, God, and my family and my Chicago Cubs family.” His faith is also prominently featured on his Instagram account, where he often ends posts with “Gracias a Dios por todo,” which means “Thanks to God for everything.”