Oakland Athletics first baseman Mark Canha was diagnosed with a hip impingement Friday, three days after the team placed him on the disabled list because of hip and back issues, according to MLB.com’s Jane Lee.
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Canha Could Miss Rest of Season
Friday, May 13
Lee reported that Canha could face season-ending surgery as a result of his injury, although there is no labral damage to his hip. Canha also suffered a mild back strain.
Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle added that Canha may not have many options aside from surgery:
The 27-year-old has struggled this season after breaking out in 2015 as a rookie. He is batting .122 with three home runs and six RBI in 16 games played.
Canha racked up 16 homers and 70 RBI last year while appearing in 124 games.
Canha’s troubles are a microcosm of Oakland’s season. The team is 15-21 and was in the midst of a five-game losing streak before Friday’s 6-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.
Losing another bat for the long haul would further debilitate a flawed lineup. Outside of Josh Reddick, who is hitting .318 with four home runs and 17 RBI, Jed Lowrie is the only other player on the team batting over .300, and the Athletics have scored the ninth-fewest runs in MLB this season.
According to SB Nation’s Jeremy F. Koo, utility infielder Tyler Ladendorf is expected to help replace Canha.
Ladendorf has largely been used as a defensive substitute and a pinch runner during his brief MLB experiences. He has appeared in 18 career games with an average of .190, so the 28-year-old should not be expected to make up for the offense Canha can provide.
Hopefully, Canha can recover with some injections and come back later this year. With the way the Athletics’ season seems to be heading, though, it would be wise not to force him onto the field if there is a chance he could worsen the injury.
All statistics are courtesy of ESPN.com.
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