​DETROIT — Athletics outfielder Zack Gelof exited in the third inning of a 4-1 defeat to the Detroit Tigers after injuring his right knee when he slammed it into the left-field fence in foul territory while making a sliding catch. Manager Mark Kotsay provided an update after the game, saying Gelof sustained a deep cut underneath his kneecap and will undergo further tests. “Fortunately, it just missed the tendon,” Kotsay told reporters. “He’ll be reevaluated tomorrow to confirm that with an MRI.”
The incident occurred with one out in the top of the third, as Zach McKinstry started the inning for Detroit by lofting a pitch from Jack Perkins down the left-field line. Gelof chased the ball into foul territory and stretched for a spectacular sliding catch to record the out, but his right knee crashed into the fence that juts out in that corner. Gelof instantly clutched his knee in obvious pain, and a tear in his uniform pants revealed the point of contact with the fencing. After a moment apart, he rose and limped back to his left-field position as Kotsay and head athletic trainer Jeff Collins hurried onto the field to assess him.
Gelof returned to the ground briefly and was immediately taken out of the lineup, with Colby Thomas entering in right field to start the game and Lawrence Butler shifting to a different spot in the outfield. Gelof, who had started the game with a second-inning groundout in his only plate appearance, left the field and did not return.
In the bigger picture of Gelof’s season, the 26-year-old outfielder/infielder has been enjoying a notable bounce-back campaign. He entered the game hitting .273 with 11 home runs and 29 RBIs, after spending time at Triple-A Las Vegas earlier in the year. Gelof had been riding a 24-game hitting streak earlier in June, which was halted on June 23 when Matt Chapman inadvertently stepped on Gelof’s right hand while applying a tag with his glove hand against San Francisco. That incident followed Gelof’s bruised-hand stint on the injured list, which had ended with his activation on July 4.
The prolonged chain of events also saw Gelof’s on-base streak reach 27 games and his streak of scoring in 13 consecutive games come to a close. Despite the setback, Gelof’s performance has remained a bright spot for the Athletics, who are counting on him to contribute both at the plate and in the field as they navigate a midseason stretch. While the team awaits imaging results from the MRI and further evaluation, the outlook will hinge on Gelof’s healing timeline and his ability to resume his standard defensive coverage and right-handed bat.
As the team awaits clarity, Colby Thomas will continue to contribute in Gelof’s absence, and Lawrence Butler will remain a part of the outfield rotation as Oakland assesses the impact of the injury in real time. The Athletics will hope for favorable MRI findings and a prompt return for Gelof, who has shown the versatility and energy that make him a key component of the club’s plans going forward.