Oakland Athletics catcher Stephen Vogt underwent surgery on his right elbow on Friday.
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Vogt Expected to Be Ready by Opening Day
Friday, Jan. 29
The team announced (via CSNBayArea.com) that the All-Star catcher, who hit 18 home runs last year, is expected to need four to six weeks to recover. The surgery was to remove a bone chip in Vogt’s throwing elbow as well as dead tissue from the area.
Vogt was named to his first All-Star team in 2015, his fourth year in the major leagues and third in Oakland. He had a career-high 71 RBI and .443 slugging percentage in 136 games with the Athletics.
The 31-year-old catcher was one of the lone bright spots for the struggling A’s, who finished 68-94 and in last place in the AL West. Vogt finished second on the roster in home runs, only trailing outfielder Josh Reddick (20).
With Vogt likely missing all of spring training, catching duties will go to 27-year-old Josh Phegley. The soon-to-be fourth-year catcher played in 73 games in 2015 with the Athletics, his first year on the team, batting .249 while hitting nine home runs.
Had he played the same number of games as Vogt, he could have matched his production in terms of batting average and home runs.
Oakland won’t miss a beat in terms of production at the plate and behind it. Spring training could be an opportunity for Phegley to show he can be an everyday starter while Vogt continues to recover.
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