He hit safely in 11 straight games. Then nothing.
Tyler Soderstrom was finishing fast. Just not fast enough.
The Athletics outfielder is headed for surgery on Friday. Left hip. That is his season done.
The issue had been hanging around for months. A hip problem, the sort of dull injury that doesnt put you on the floor but slowly eats away at everything. He was placed on the injured list on Sunday, the second time this year for the same problem. A trip to a specialist in Los Angeles on Monday brought the verdict soon after.
Try it for $0.99.
A $86 million deal and a season in pieces
Soderstrom is 24. He finishes the year with a .245 batting average, 19 home runs and 56 RBIs in 109 games.
Last year told a very different story. .276, 25 homers, 34 doubles, 93 RBIs across 158 games. Career highs everywhere. The club then handed him a seven-year extension worth $86 million.
One year later, hes watching the end of the season from an operating table.
Kotsay had never seen anything like it
And hes not the only one. Shea Langeliers, an All-Star catcher, is done with a knee issue. Brent Rooker, a two-time All-Star, is done too. Nick Kurtz, right thumb, a comeback looks highly unlikely. Jacob Wilson, left shoulder, surgery is scheduled after the season and he could be shut down before the calendar runs out.
Manager Mark Kotsay said as much even before Soderstroms diagnosis was confirmed.
“Ive never seen this. To have four of your Opening Day starters dealing with injuries that knock out their season like that, and all at the same time.”
“Usually you go through stretches where guys are in and out of the lineup. But Ive never seen a group of players end up with injuries that wreck most of their season.”
As for what shape this team will be in come spring, well, that remains to be seen.
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