A’s injury updates: Tarnok, Aledmys, Waldichuk
Two positive updates and a negative one
We got a little bit of news regarding a few A’s players this afternoon:
A’s injuries:
— Martín Gallegos (@MartinJGallegos) April 2, 2024
- Freddy Tarnok is getting an MRI after feeling hip discomfort during a bullpen session
- Aledmys Díaz is doing some baseball activity but still not running
- Ken Waldichuk will throw a 25-pitch bullpen tomorrow
Firstly and the most concerning, Tarnok’s hip update is not a positive development for the young right-hander. Tarnok first had hip surgery in August of last year, ending his season after just five games in the big leagues with the A’s. He was doing well all offseason until he felt a flare up in his hip early on in camp. He was shut down and didn’t pitch during spring but apparently has being doing bullpens, or just starting them. This is the second time his hip has had problems since the surgery and it’s beginning to get increasingly concerning that he may need to undergo the knife again. It’s a disappointment for Tarnok and the Athletics, who targeted him as a piece in return for Sean Murphy.
In a bit better news, Aledmys Diaz is taking the slow step of getting into baseball activities. Because his injury is lower body related you don’t want him pushing that part of his body. If he’s just swinging a bat and fielding ground balls, he’s less likely to reaggravate the groin strain that landed him on the 60-day IL. He should still be ready to rejoin the club when first eligible in late May.
And finally, left-handed Ken Waldichuk is beginning to get into bullpen activities as he works his way back from October elbow surgery. It wasn’t the dreaded Tommy John and the team still expects him back at some point but there still is no timetable for his eventual return. It’s still an encouraging update for Waldichuk, another key piece in return for a star (Frankie Montas). He’s shown flashes of why the team wanted him but hasn’t put it together consistently enough. Hopefully yet.