The Athletics expect to bring back one of their stars and veteran leaders ahead of the 2027 MLB Spring Training after officially being ruled out for the rest of the 2026 MLB season.
A’s slugger Brent Rooker successfully underwent arthroscopic surgery to fix a cartilage tear in his left knee, the team announced on Friday. The two-time MLB All-Star selection is expected to make a full recovery just in time for the start of next season.
The team also transferred Rooker to the 60-day injured list, along with several other roster moves such as designating starting pitcher Aaron Civale for assignment and selecting infielder Tommy White from Triple-A Las Vegas.
Rooker has been sidelined since June 8 due to the knee injury that built up over time to the point that the pain continued to bother him. The one-time Silver Slugger only appeared in 48 games this season, batting .200/.281/.389 with 29 RBI and 10 home runs.
“This is a big blow,” Athletics manager Mark Kotsay told reporters on July 1.
“It’s a middle-of-the-order bat; it’s a guy that has produced for us the last three seasons, 30-plus homers. In terms of replacing Rook, there’s not one guy that’s going to come in here and step in and do that type of production, but we’ll do our best to fill that void and make the best of the situation.”
Rooker has been with the A’s organization since being claimed off waivers from the Kansas City Royals in August 2022. In January 2025, the Athletics signed Rooker to a lucrative five-year, $60 million contract.
Throughout his four-year tenure with the A’s so far, the 31-year-old is averaging .261/.337/.498 with 299 RBI and 109 home runs in 492 games.
Known for his leadership and hitting abilities, Rooker certainly will be a much-needed boost when he returns to the field and help a young Athletics team that has lost 13 of its last 14 matchups.