After long rehab, Gelof is back -- and battling for a spot in crowded A's infield

GOODYEAR, Ariz. – The path to the Opening Day roster for Zack Gelof was supposed to be a slow climb. Instead, it took a sudden leap forward on Monday.

The 26-year-old made his Cactus League debut in the Athletics' 9-7 win against the Reds, serving as the designated hitter and batting fifth. While the box score showed an afternoon of readjustment, Gelof finished 2-for-4 with an RBI double in the top of the first inning. The significance of the day, however, was rooted in the grueling six-month journey that preceded it.

For Gelof, the appearance marks the end of a "rehab process" that began the moment his left shoulder popped out of place while diving for a ground ball in Pittsburgh on Sept. 19. It was the final blow in a nightmare 2025 campaign that saw him limited to just 30 Major League games due to right hamate surgery and a rib stress reaction.

"Zack is playing today, which is great," manager Mark Kotsay said. "He has put a lot of work into the rehab process... I know he's excited, we're excited to get him going and build him up for a season."

While Gelof burst onto the scene in 2023 with 14 home runs and 14 stolen bases in just 69 games, his path back to the big league roster is more crowded than it was a year ago. The offseason addition of veteran Jeff McNeil and the meteoric spring of No. 9 prospect Tommy White, who is hitting .444 (8-for-18) with three home runs, have turned the A's infield into a game of musical chairs.

Standing in the visitors' clubhouse after the game, Gelof noted that some of the toughest hurdles in his recovery had nothing to do with a weight room or a batting cage. Sometimes, it was just about getting a good night’s rest.

"Once you get surgery, especially in your left labrum, you can't sleep on your left side," Gelof said. "And I'm a left-side sleeper, so I couldn't really sleep for the first two weeks. But then after that, it slowly got better. That's instantly what I think of."

Despite the lack of sleep, the adrenaline of the return was evident.

"Some nerves, some excitement," Gelof admitted regarding his first trip to the plate. "I'm just excited to be out there. You know, it's baseball. So, [I’m] just super excited to kind of go out there and do my thing."

For the A's, the key is whether Gelof can find the timing that made him a breakout star in his rookie year. Facing live pitching for the first time since surgery is the ultimate litmus test for that recovery. Gelof noted that while the physical sensation is returning, the internal clock is still a work in progress.

"I feel pretty, I think as close as I have since then," Gelof said, comparing his current rhythm to his 2023 form. "I feel really good body-wise. Timing, still kind of working on that. But I feel like I was on 98 [mph] and hit an offspeed [pitch] pretty good. So, just trying to carry that into tomorrow and trying to keep doing that every day in camp."

Between the offseason addition of veteran talent and the emergence of younger faces this spring, Gelof has spent his mornings working on his versatility, taking reps on both the "dirt and the grass" to ensure his bat stays in the lineup. His mindset remains focused on the medical hurdles as much as the defensive ones.

"Doing everything I can," Gelof said of his approach to the roster battle. "Obviously, I think the number one is being healthy. If I'm not healthy, I can't help the team. So, working on stuff for the medical staff. Just stay on the field. And then also, when I'm on the field, trusting it and just being the player that I know I can be."