The Oakland Athletics have had a surprisingly strong start at the plate this season, but they will be without one of their top offensive contributors in Ben Zobrist after it was revealed he will undergo surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.
Continue for updates.
Zobrist Placed on 15-Day DL with Knee Injury
Saturday, April 25
According to the Athletics’ official Twitter account, the 33-year-old utility man has been placed on the 15-day disabled list:
Jorge L. Ortiz of USA Today noted that Zobrist has a tear in his left meniscus.
Joe Stiglich of Comcast SportsNet California confirmed Zobrist will have surgery though the date is still to be determined. Stiglich noted the recovery time is roughly four to six weeks.
John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group provided a comment from Zobrist: “hoping I’ll be back June 1 and will have four months to help this team the way I can.”
Although he will be out of action, it appears as though he avoided serious damage to his knee, per Lee:
Zobrist’s versatility and experience have served the A’s well early in the 2015 campaign. This marks Zobrist’s first season in Oakland after spending the initial nine years of his MLB career with the Tampa Bay Rays.
The two-time MLB All-Star is currently hitting .240 with one home run, eight RBI and eight runs, and he has already played three different positions.
Replacing a player of his ilk is no easy task, but look for do-everything backup Eric Sogard to take many of Zobrist’s at-bats during his absence.
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