OAKLAND – Catcher Carson Blair will miss the rest of the season after suffering a medial meniscus tear in his left knee that will require surgery.
Blair injured his knee while doing defensive warm-up drills before Thursday’s game, but he managed to get through that game before his knee really began bothering him afterward. An MRI on Friday showed the tear. A surgery date hasn’t been set, and Melvin didn’t know an expected recovery time.
That leaves Stephen Vogt, who just returned Friday from his own injury, and September call-up Bryan Anderson as the only healthy catchers left on Oakland’s roster. Josh Phegley will miss the rest of the season after suffering a concussion.
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The A’s won’t take any chances with their All-Star ace, so figure there’s at least a decent chance that Gray’s winning start Friday was his last outing of 2015. He was pulled after 86 pitches against the Giants after his hip acted up in the fifth inning. Gray said he first felt discomfort in his previous outing against the Houston Astros on Sept. 19.
“He’s a little sore,” manager Bob Melvin said before Saturday’s game against the Giants. “We’ll give it some time, see how he feels in the next coming days before we make a decision on whether he starts or not.”
Gray’s final turn would come up Wednesday against the Angels, though the A’s could possibly let him rest through Thursday’s day off and have him pitch against the Mariners. More than likely, the A’s will shut Gray down if the hip discomfort continues.
He currently sits at 14 wins, tied for his career high, with a 2.73 ERA that ranks third in the American League.
