CINCINNATI – All-Star first baseman and reigning American League Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz landed back on the 10-day injured list for the second time in the span of a month after a visit with Dr. Steven Shin in Los Angeles on Monday led to a diagnosis of an acute on chronic volar plate tear of the MCP joint in his right thumb.
What exactly is an acute on chronic volar plate tear of the MCP joint? And what does that mean going forward for Kurtz and the Athletics? Let’s try to answer some of those questions.
What is this injury?
In layman’s terms, Kurtz’s diagnosis is essentially a reaggravation of the right thumb capsule strain that landed him on the IL in July and kept him out for 10 games before returning on July 25. The A’s were hopeful that enough time had passed for the injury to heal and were cautious by easing Kurtz back into action with planned days off, but the injury seemingly was still an issue, causing a new tear in his metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint.
How long has this been a problem for Kurtz?
It’s unclear when exactly the original injury occurred for Kurtz. The first sign that something might be up was on June 28, when he was held out of the starting lineup against the Angels but came off the bench late for a pinch-hit appearance.
It would make sense that Kurtz was feeling discomfort around that point, given his struggles since then. Since June 28, Kurtz is hitting just .115 (6-for-52) with two home runs and 27 strikeouts over 17 games during a stretch that includes his previous IL stint.
What’s the timeline looking like?
A’s manager Mark Kotsay did not want to put a timetable on Kurtz, only pointing out before Tuesday’s series opener against the Reds at Great American Ball Park that despite his IL placement being retroactive to Aug. 1, the 23-year-old slugger will likely be out beyond the 10-day window.
“We’ll see how this process goes,” Kotsay said. “The goal, obviously, is to just get this thing put behind him so that there isn’t a timeline that, when he comes back, he has to deal with any soreness or any other issues with it.”
Could the A’s just shut him down?
With the A’s (45-67) entering Tuesday a distant fourth place in the AL West and only 50 games left in the season, it’s natural to speculate if the club might just decide to keep Kurtz out for the rest of the season to ensure his injury is fully healed for next year.
At this point, the A’s are not entertaining that thought. It’s a similar situation to what they are going through with All-Star catcher Shea Langeliers, who is unlikely to return this season after undergoing a procedure for his torn meniscus on his right knee, but has not been officially ruled out for the rest of the year.
“It will be [a discussion] when we get to that point,” Kotsay said. “Right now, there’s still enough time in the season where [Kurtz] can go through this process and not have to think about the 60-day [IL] for him. It’s very similar to Shea. For both of them, it’s about wanting them fully healthy and not pushing the envelope to get them back until they’re ready and 100 percent pain-free so that both injuries for both players are behind them.”
How do the A’s handle first base going forward?
However long Kurtz is out, first base will likely see a rotation of players. That group includes Jeff McNeil, who got the start there Tuesday night, as well as A’s No. 7 prospect Tommy White and Jonah Heim.
With Kurtz going down, the A’s recalled infielder Max Muncy from Triple-A Las Vegas. Muncy adds to the group of several young players on the roster the A’s are looking to evaluate from now until the end of the season.
“I feel like all three of those guys will get time at first base,” Kotsay said. “It’s nice to have options. … With Muncy being called up, we’re going to have to get a look at Max as well. He’s a part of this group, and we’re at a point where they won’t be all together for the rest of the season, but there are pieces here that we need to really identify if they can impact the group as a whole next year.”
Springs (hip) also lands on IL
The A's made a flurry of moves Tuesday, also placing left-hander Jeffrey Springs on the 15-day IL retroactive to Aug. 1 with right hip discomfort.
The A’s also reinstated right-hander J.T. Ginn from the injured list and designated left-hander Ben Bowden for assignment. Right-hander Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang, who was designated for assignment on Friday, has cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Las Vegas.