The Oakland Athletics are only 0-2 this season, having lost both of their games in Japan against the Seattle Mariners. Yet you can pardon A's fans who feel the team has lost more than that.
Earlier this week, news surfaced that top prospect Jesus Luzardo would be shut down for at least a month as he deals with rotator cuff issues. On Friday, the A's announced first baseman Matt Olson will miss time after undergoing surgery on his wrist to remove his hamate bone:
Olson exited Thursday's game after hurting his wrist during an at-bat. The A's didn't provide a timetable for Olson's return, but it seems fair to expect him to miss most (if not all) of April:
It appears Matt Olson had his hamate bone removed from his right hand. An October NIH study of baseball players indicates the median return to play time was five weeks with return to preinjury level of activity after seven weeks. https://t.co/VI2mZixXPJ
— Jeremy F. Koo (@jfkooAN) March 22, 2019
Olson has proven to be an above-average big-league bat. Last season, his first full year in the majors, he posted a 116 OPS+ and hit 29 home runs while appearing in every game. Obviously that won't be the case this season.
Barring a late-spring acquisition, the A's will presumably use Mark Canha as their most-days first baseman during Olson's absence.
