MESA, Ariz. -- Zack Gelof, the expected everyday second baseman for the Athletics in 2025, will miss the start of the regular season.
The A¡¯s held out hope over the past week that there would be enough time for Gelof¡¯s right hand to heal before Opening Day on March 27. But with a lack of improvement in the days after getting hit by a pitch on Wednesday, Gelof was sent for an MRI on Saturday. Before Sunday¡¯s Cactus League game against the Cubs, manager Mark Kotsay revealed those results showed a hook of the hamate fracture of the 25-year-old¡¯s right hand. Set to undergo surgery on Monday with Dr. Steven Shin in Los Angeles, Gelof will begin the season on the injured list.
Frustrated by a down 2024 campaign, Gelof had been working closely with A¡¯s director of hitting Darren Bush this spring on adjustments they believed could help him recapture the form he displayed during his breakout 2023 rookie season. The early returns were promising, as Gelof went 11-for-37 (.297) with two homers and a double through 15 Cactus League games.
¡°You looked at the progress in Spring Training with the at-bats and we felt good about where he was at,¡± Kotsay said. ¡°This changes some things with the roster. We¡¯re exploring the different options right now.¡±
Typically, after a period of immobilization, a person can resume regular activity in six to eight weeks. But hamate injuries can be highly problematic for hitters, sometimes even after they are cleared to return.
Kotsay declined to give a specific timeline, though he did mention Matt Olson, who in 2019 underwent surgery for a similar hamate fracture on March 22 and returned to big league action on May 7, as an example.
¡°That¡¯s a pretty accelerated timeline,¡± Kotsay said. ¡°But if there¡¯s a timeline that we¡¯re looking at, that would be one. It could take longer.¡±
While losing a key member of this young A¡¯s core is an obvious tough blow, the club feels confident in its options for second base. Luis Ur¨ªas and Max Schuemann have both enjoyed solid springs, and Kotsay said they are both versatile enough to handle second base.
Another player who could now be an option to begin the season with the team is Max Muncy. Rated the A¡¯s No. 7 prospect by MLB Pipeline, Muncy has been one of the surprises of camp, entering Sunday hitting .289 (11-for-38) through 23 games. Muncy is also versatile, having logged time at shortstop, third and second base this spring. An IL stint for Gelof could open the door for Muncy to break camp with the team for what would be his Major League debut.
¡°There¡¯s an outlier where you can make a decision to fill [second base] with someone you have confidence going forward with for our future,¡± Kotsay said. ¡°We¡¯re balancing those decisions. I don¡¯t know if there is a right answer that stands out, but I will feel great about the decision that is being made.¡±