Great article here about Cal Ripken:

On Opening Day 1985, Ripken rolled his ankle on the second-base bag while making a double play. He played the rest of the game, but after the game, his ankle was severely swollen. The next day was a day off — if there had been a game, he says he would not have been able to play. His ankle was ringed black and blue, the kind that keeps normal people out for a month. He went to the hospital after the game. The doctor gave him crutches and told him to stay off the ankle for two weeks. Ripken threw the crutches away when he left the hospital, treated the ankle and, less than 24 hours later, played in a big league game.

How did he do that?

“I taped it really tight,” he said.