Athletics get worrisome injury update on 39 home run All-Star after Yankees series originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
If the Athletics want to end their five-year postseason drought, they’ll need their best power hitter to be healthy throughout the regular season.
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They took two out of three in their midweek series against the New York Yankees, but may have lost a slugger for an extended period of time due to injury.
Designated hitter Brent Rooker was diagnosed with right flank discomfort after fouling off a pitch from Ryan Weathers in the first inning yesterday at Yankee Stadium. Rooker immediately reached for his right hip after the swing and exited the game.
“I feel all right right now,” Rooker told reporters after the game, including MLB.com’s Martin Gallegos. “I’m a little tight and a little sore. We’ll get imaging done and see what that says.”
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The A’s hope Rooker will not require a lengthy stay on the injured list. He’s hit 30 or more home runs in each of the past three seasons, including a career high of 39 in 2024. This past Sunday, he connected for a walk-off homer in a 12-10 comeback victory against the Houston Astros.
“We’ll have more of an update [Friday],” manager Mark Kotsay told Gallegos. “There’s just a lot of tightness right now. We’re hoping for the best.”
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