CSN Bay Area

UPDATE (11:30 a.m. on Thursday) -- Coco Crisp will miss some time for the A's, but there are conflicting opinions about how long right elbow surgery will keep him out. 

Crisp tweeted on Thursday morning: "They say 6-8 weeks for my bow I say 2-3, I hope I'm right. Ima spray some windex on my bow n put that extra cold ice on it #windexcure"

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The A’s depth is being tested before they even reach Opening Day.

A report surfaced late Wednesday night saying that left fielder Coco Crisp will have surgery on his right elbow and miss several weeks. A’s officials have yet to confirm any news, and Crisp’s agent did not return a call seeking comment. Crisp did post an Instagram picture of himself waiting at a doctor’s office Thursday morning.

At the very least, it appears certain that Oakland will begin the regular season Monday with two of its starting outfielders on the disabled list.

Right fielder Josh Reddick is out with an oblique injury but can be reinstated from the DL as soon as April 11, five games into the season. If Crisp’s absence is indeed an extended one, it will leave a void in the leadoff spot. His injury likely means that Billy Burns earns a spot on his first Opening Night roster. The switch-hitting Burns is batting .397 and is tied for the major league lead with 29 hits this spring.

[STIGLICH: A look back at five questions facing A's entering spring training]

But as for the starting outfield alignment, the A’s have the option of going with veterans Sam Fuld and Craig Gentry in two of the spots. Against right-handers, Ben Zobrist figures to play one of the corner outfield spots with Eric Sogard handling second base. Against lefties, the A’s could use Zobrist at second and insert the right-handed hitting Mark Canha in the outfield.

Given the injury hits they’ve taken, expect the A’s to at least scan the available outfield options in free agency and over the waiver wire. Assistant general manager David Forst addressed the issue in an interview with CSN California a few days ago, before surgery even was mentioned as an option for Crisp.

“It’s an area we need to keep track of,” Forst said at the time. “We don’t have to do anything right now. We think Coco is going to be fine. But it’s something we need to keep our finger on.”

Crisp, 35, has played in just seven games this spring because of soreness in his elbow, which bothers him swinging the bat as well as throwing. Last season, he hit just .246 with nine homers and 47 RBI. But when playing at full strength, he’s been an igniter atop the A’s lineup. However, it appears Crisp is facing his fifth trip to the disabled list since joining Oakland in 2010.