Evan Marshall Named 2025 Return-to-Work Champion for BIAAZ
PHOENIX, Arizona – The Brain Injury Association of Arizona (BIAAZ) is proud to announce Evan Marshall, brain injury prevention advocate and former Major League Baseball pitcher, is being honored as the 2025 Return-to-Work Champion at RESILIENCE, our annual signature breakfast for the Arizona business community. This event celebrates survivors of brain injury who have successfully returned to the workforce and the employers who support those survivors.
The event will be held Friday, Oct. 25, 2025, online and everyone is welcome to attend. The event is sponsored this year by Neuro RehabCare of Scottsdale and TMS Institute of Arizona.
Marshall is being honored as the 2025 Return to Work Champion for his resilience in not only returning to professional baseball after a life-threatening brain injury, but also for navigating a second major career transition into the business world after his baseball career. It was quite the transition, especially considering his prior job included time with the Chicago White Sox and Number 55 for the Arizona Diamond Backs.
In 2015, while pitching for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Marshall was struck in the head by a 105-mph line drive, fracturing his skull and requiring emergency surgery at Barrow Neurological Institute. Just seven months later, he was back on the mound—a testament to his determination and focus on his physical rehabilitation.
But the return was not without challenges. Marshall has been candid about the less-visible impacts of brain injury, including nightmares, anxiety, and the mental toll of competing at the highest level while processing trauma.
“The game doesn’t care if you’re feeling vulnerable; the game is the game,” Marshall said. “Physically I was back, but I was still ducking every time a ball was hit up the middle.”
Despite these struggles, Marshall persevered in the MLB until 2023, when he retired due to a shoulder injury. He has since transitioned into a successful second career in the insurance industry and continues to share his journey with the brain injury community.
The breakfast will begin with a special message from Congressman Greg Stanton. Stanton noted that while no one would have blamed Marshall for making a quiet and private recovery after his skull fracture, Evan made his recovery a platform for helping others, being open about the ups and downs of recovery and removing the stigma of brain injury for so many.
Marshall and his wife, Allie, have been longtime supporters of BIAAZ, sharing their experiences and encouraging other survivors and families to find connection, healing, and hope.
About the Brain Injury Association of Arizona
The Brain Injury Association of Arizona (BIAAZ) is a statewide nonprofit dedicated to improving the quality of life for individuals with brain injury and their families through education, advocacy, and community support.