Shea Langeliers Suffers Torn Meniscus, May Miss Relaxation Of Season

The Athletics introduced right this moment that All-Star catcher Shea Langeliers has been positioned on the 10-day injured listing with a torn meniscus in his proper knee. The transfer, which is retroactive to July twenty fifth, sees catcher Brian Serven recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas. In keeping with Jeff Passan of ESPN, Langeliers suffered the harm on the basepaths through the present collection towards the Twins. Because of the tear, he may miss the rest of the season.

Per Passan, Langeliers is deciding whether or not to bear surgical procedure. If he does go beneath the knife, as is normally the case for meniscus tears, that may include a six to eight-week restoration timeline. The A’s are 9 video games out of a Wild Card spot and haven’t any motive to hurry Langeliers again for a number of video games in September, so any surgical procedure would imply he’s out till 2027. Additional particulars on the necessity for surgical procedure and the restoration timeline must be made public within the coming days.

It’s a sudden and devastating blow for the A’s, who’ve already suffered a lot of accidents en path to a disappointing season. Brent Rooker, who’d been struggling to an 82 wRC+ this yr, underwent season-ending knee surgical procedure in the beginning of July. Infielder Zack Gelof had a knee laceration a few weeks in the past and stays out in the intervening time. Nick Kurtz went on the 10-day IL earlier than the All-Star break, although he returned yesterday after a two-week absence. Different injured place gamers embrace Joshua Kuroda-Grauer and Denzel Clarke, and the A’s even have three pitchers apiece on the 15-day and 60-day injured lists.

Langeliers is definitely essentially the most important of these accidents. In 416 plate appearances this yr, he was batting .263/.332/.497 with 23 house runs and a 127 wRC+. The latter determine is the second-best mark on the crew behind Kurtz in addition to second-best amongst certified catchers within the Junior Circuit, behind solely the Tigers’ Dillon Dingler. Langeliers was additionally offering worth behind the plate, as he’s been value 5 Defensive Runs Saved in 2026 in comparison with -10 DRS in every of the earlier two years.

Put all of it collectively, and Langeliers was one of many crew’s most precious place gamers and the most effective catchers within the league. Now that he’s dealing with an prolonged absence, the A’s will go along with Jonah Heim as their starter behind the plate, not less than within the quick time period. Since coming over from the Braves in a money commerce in Might, Heim has batted .233/.278/.433 with a 92 wRC+ in 162 plate appearances. That’s loads serviceable for a backup catcher, however clearly a large downgrade from Langeliers in a beginning position.

As MLBTR’s Anthony Franco talked about in our Commerce Deadline Outlook entry on the Athletics, Heim can be an impending free agent. The Twins’ Ryan Jeffers and the Rockies’ Hunter Goodman have been talked about as targets for groups needing catching assist. Whereas Jeffers may very well be dealt even when the Twins aren’t pure sellers, Goodman is extra of an extended shot, as he’s managed via 2029 and would price a king’s ransom in a commerce.

Heim is a possible backup possibility for groups who miss out on Jeffers. With the A’s properly out of rivalry, it is smart to commerce him for a lottery ticket prospect somewhat than let him stroll for nothing within the offseason. That would depart Serven because the beginning catcher for the final two months of the season. He’s additionally the one catcher on the 40-man roster apart from Langeliers and Heim, so a commerce of the latter may require some form of low-cost depth signing to fill the backup spot.

Langeliers himself was seen as a long-shot commerce candidate, partly as a result of the A’s haven’t managed to increase him like their different younger stars. Nevertheless, as with Goodman, Langeliers is controllable past the 2026 season and would have price a major haul of prospects or different controllable expertise. In contrast to the Rockies, the Athletics are hoping to contend in 2027, and dealing Langeliers would have left them with out one in every of their finest hitters in that effort. Regardless, any hypothesis on a Langeliers commerce is all however completed with the meniscus tear, because the membership has little selection however to give attention to his rehab and wholesome return in 2027.

Photograph courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Photographs