Mets’ World Series champion hospitalized after suffering stroke

Former New York Mets outfielder Lenny Dysktra has been hospitalized after suffering a mini stroke. The news was first revealed on social media by Dolan’s Bar in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday night.

“I spoke to him yesterday, and to me, he sounded pretty good. But I know these things can change rapidly,” said Adam Taxin, a Pennsylvania attorney who handles Dykstra’s social media accounts.

Taxin said Dykstra is hospitalized at the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. At least one son and his girlfriend have been at his side, Taxin said.

“He is in good spirits, he’s doing decently and we just wanted to let him know our thoughts and prayers are with him,” Dolan’s Bar owner PJ Dolan said in a video on X.

Dykstra, 61, was a member of the Mets’ 1986 World Series-winning squad. He was with the Mets from 1985-89 until he was traded to the Phillies. He spent eight seasons with Philadelphia, where he was a three-time All-Star selection and a Silver Slugger award winner.

Dykstra had a career .285/.375/.419 slash line and 81 home runs, 404 RBI and 285 stolen bases.

Dolan told NJ Advance Media early Thursday that Dykstra experienced difficulty walking earlier this week, which prompted him to seek medical care.

“It seems like it (the stroke) happened, and he may not have been aware of it,” Dolan said Thursday. “But I spoke with him, and for a stroke victim, he sounded ok.”

For several years, Dykstra owned a home in Linden, which he admitted illegally converting into a rooming house. He sold the house in 2019.

In March 2019, charges that Dykstra threatened to kill an Uber driver who picked him up in Linden were dropped after he pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct.

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Bridget Hyland may be reached at [email protected]

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