Brent Rooker, an Oakland Athletics outfielder, had surgery on his right forearm owing to an elbow condition that forced him to largely play designated hitter this season.
Dr. Michael Freehill performed arthroscopic surgery on Tuesday to repair a partially torn extensor tendon, according to general manager David Forst. “Easy cleanup and should be 100% by spring training,” Forst informed the crowd.
Rooker, 29, hit a career-high 39 home runs and had 112 RBIs while hitting.293 across 145 games, 131 of which were as designated hitter. Manager Mark Kotsay expects that once Rooker is well, he can return as a regular outfielder.
He spent practically every day in the training room, hoping to feel good enough to play.
“Rook exceeded expectations in 2023 and showed he is a legitimate middle-of-the-order hitter and then took it further this year where he should have been a back-to-back All-Star,” Forst told reporters via video conference on Friday.
“He was the player we wanted in all situations. He was the player Mark counted on. He was not completely healthy all year.
I’m not sure how many people noticed, but he stopped playing in the outfield after the second part of the season.
Forst continued, “I’m not a doctor; I only play one on television. But it’s impressive that he was able to persevere and have such an offensive season.”
Building a stronger offensive will be a primary objective as the team relocates to Sacramento for the next three years, with hopes of playing in a new stadium in Las Vegas for the 2028 season.
Following two consecutive seasons of more than 100 defeats, the A’s finished 69-93 in Kotsay’s third and final season at the Oakland Coliseum.
“Our main goal as we talk about strengthening the lineup is to use the DH position to add another bat, and if Rook can also play in the outfield, that will definitely make us better,” according to Kotsay. “We’re always looking to maximize our roster, and having Rook able to play the outfield will help us do that.”
