DETROIT -- The Athletics have been bitten by the injury bug so hard that even their highlight-reel plays are coming at a cost.
During the third inning of Thursday night’s series finale against the Tigers at Comerica Park, left fielder Zack Gelof made an impressive sliding catch in foul territory for the first out of the inning before his right knee crashed into the fenced portion of the side wall down the left-field line.
Gelof initially popped back up and hobbled back to his position, appearing to test out his knee. But after a few seconds, he went back down to the ground and was removed from the game, walking off the field under his own power alongside A’s head athletic trainer Jeff Collins and manager Mark Kotsay.
It was yet another blow in what has been a trying year on the health front for the A’s, who have already lost All-Star slugger Brent Rooker for the season due to a left knee injury. There had been some encouraging momentum over the past week that the A’s were going to be as close to full strength as an offense as they’d been since Opening Day with a few players returning from the injured list over the past week, including Gelof, who was activated on Saturday.
For Gelof, his season of tough-luck injuries continued. Earlier this year, he was struck on the helmet by a pitch from Angels reliever Kirby Yates, but fortunately, he only had to miss one game. Not long after that, though, his right hand was stepped on while tagging out Giants third baseman Matt Chapman at second base, which resulted in a right hand laceration/contusion that kept him out from June 24-July 3.
Losing Gelof for an extended amount of time would be a big hit for the A’s. He has reemerged as a key player both as a hitter atop their lineup and as a defender at third base, second base and in left field. Should he land on the IL again, the A’s do have a bevy of utility options at Triple-A Las Vegas, including Max Muncy, who was optioned to Triple-A on Wednesday, as well as Darell Hernaiz and No. 8 prospect Tommy White.