The A’s received more jolting injury news Saturday when they learned Miguel Andujar, an expected presence in the middle of their lineup, will undergo knee surgery and miss at least 4-6 weeks.
Andujar, who’s been one of the top hitters in the Cactus League while hitting .357 with five home runs with a 1.110 OPS, suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee. He’ll undergo surgery on Wednesday, a procedure the A’s hope will allow him to return to the team sometime in May.
“We can’t tell until (the doctors) get in there what the repair has to be,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay told MLB.com. “If it’s minimal, it could be a 4-to-6 week timeframe. If it’s more than that, we could be looking at a longer timeframe.”
Andujar, the 29-year-old former runner-up to Shohei Ohtani in 2018 while with the Yankees, was expected to alternate between left field and designated hitter with Oakland. The A’s claimed him off waivers from Pittsburgh four months ago.
Knee troubles will also send Sean Newcomb to the injured list, the team announced Saturday. Newcomb was set to replace ex-Giant Scott Alexander as the A’s top lefty in the bullpen while Alexander’s recovered from a left rib stress reaction. Those injuries leave Kyle Muller, last year’s Opening Day starter, as the lone lefty currently on the roster.
Oakland’s left-handed options include 27-year-old Easton Lucas, acquired from Baltimore last year in the Shintaro Fujinami trade. The A’s could also explore adding another former Giant in Amir Garrett, who was released this week after a rough spring. Veteran Joely Rodriguez, 32, is also available after opting out of his minor league deal with Boston on Friday.
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Saturday’s injury news comes one day after right-handed setup man Trevor Gott, a fringe free-agent signing in the offseason, was booked for Tommy John surgery next week after suffering a fully torn UCL ligament.
Andujar’s injury opens the door for utilityman Hoy Park to break camp with the A’s. Park, 27, continued his torrid hitting while going 2-for-2 with a double during Oakland’s 11-5 spring win over the Angels Saturday. The lefty hitting Park has a spring slash line of .488/.489/.674.