After hitting a home run the day before on Opening Day of 2011, Holliday had an emergency appendectomy. He returned just nine days later despite a forecast to miss four to six weeks. In seven consecutive plate appearances against the Houston Astros on April 26 and 27, he reached base and did so in 10 of 15 plate appearances in that series. He made his fifth MLB All-Star Game appearance and third Home Run Derby. After two appearances on the disabled list twice that season, a different "injury bug" struck Holliday in a late August game against the Dodgers. During the eighth inning, he left the game due to pain developing after a moth had lodged itself deep within his ear. Team trainers removed it without further incident.