White Cleat Beat
Fansided

Oakland A’s injuries starting to pile up

By David Hill

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 04: Chad Pinder #4 of the Oakland Athletics makes a leaping catch during the first inning against the Houston Astros at RingCentral Coliseum on April 04, 2021 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 04: Chad Pinder #4 of the Oakland Athletics makes a leaping catch during the first inning against the Houston Astros at RingCentral Coliseum on April 04, 2021 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Oakland A’s had a rough opening weekend. Not only were they swept by the rival Astros, they were utterly dominated, being outscored 35-9. There were very few bright spots for the A’s over the course of the weekend, as seemingly anything that could have gone wrong did.

One of the major storylines for the A’s has not been so much who was on the diamond, but rather, who was missing. They have been hammered with the injury bug already, with Ramon Laureano being sidelined with a jammed wrist and Sean Murphy being out of action since being hit by a pitch. Then, on Sunday, Chad Pinder sprained his left knee while making a catch.

Oakland A’s injuries starting to pile up

At this point, the severity of Pinder’s sprained knee is unknown. He is slated to undergo an MRI, which will help provide a timeline for when he is able to return. Chances are, he will need to spend time on the Injured List, with the A’s losing a valuable utility player.

More from White Cleat Beat

The news is better with the A’s other injured players. Laureano was reportedly feeling better on Sunday, although he was still held out of the lineup for precautionary reasons. It is possible that he will return to the lineup on Monday, giving Oakland a sorely needed impact player atop their lineup for their series against the Dodgers.

The news on Murphy, while positive, is not quite as optimistic. He felt some discomfort while swinging the bat during batting practice on Sunday, taking him out of the lineup for the third consecutive game. Murphy is going to miss Monday’s contest as well, with the hope that he will be ready afterward.

Getting both Murphy and Laureano back into the lineup in the next few days could make a drastic difference. The offense has been anemic to begin the season, and having a key tablesetter and a promising threat behind the plate and in the lineup could be just what the A’s need.

A's cut ties with Skye Bolt far too late. dark. Next

The Oakland A’s lineup has been decimated by injuries in the early going. Hopefully getting a couple of key players back will make a difference.