Athletics infielder Zack Gelof is suing the Detroit Tigers, claiming that an exposed metal fence at the team’s ballpark forced him to miss 30 days of work.
Gelof’s injury stems from a sliding catch on a foul ball he made while playing left field against the Tigers on July 9th. According to the complaint, after Gelof slid to make the catch, his “right knee violently struck an exposed dangerous metal fence on the side wall that protruded into or alongside the playing area.” Gelof left the field with a deep laceration beneath his right kneecap, and the Athletics training staff said after the game that the wound narrowly missed his patellar tendon.
As a result, Gelof was placed on the 10-day IL on July 10th. He began a rehab assignment on August 4th and returned to the big-league club on August 10th, which is where the 30 days of missed work (July 10th to August 10th) comes from.
The Tigers installed padding on the area where Gelof was injured shortly after the incident. And while Gelof’s lawyers haven’t specified damages in the filing, they are seeking compensation for pain and suffering, economic loss, lost wages, emotional and mental distress, medical bills, attorney fees, and other damages.
So does Gelof actually have a case? Are the Tigers really responsible for another MLB player getting injured at their ballpark, a ballpark that the team itself doesn’t even own? And if so, how much money should Gelof expect to receive?