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Ben Zobrist has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with a left medial meniscus tear. The Athletics selected the contract of Max Muncy from Triple-A Nashville and designated left-handed relief pitcher Eury De La Rosa for assignment. Muncy will make his major league debut today at third base.
The A's lineup for today. Max Muncy making his Major League debut. #GreenCollar pic.twitter.com/ppyKT08Dcy
— Oakland Athletics (@Athletics) April 25, 2015
Zobrist has been dealing with left knee soreness since exiting in the middle of the April 19 contest against the Kansas City Royals. He received a cortisone shot earlier in the week but still "wasn't close to 100 percent" as he played designated hitter during Friday night's game, wrote the San Francisco Chronicle's John Shea.
Zobrist will have surgery. No date set. But says typical recovery around 4 to 6 weeks. #Athletics
— Joe Stiglich (@JoeStiglichCSN) April 25, 2015
The left-handed hitting Muncy arrives while the A's are suddenly shorthanded on the infield. On Friday, third baseman Brett Lawrie came up limping a little bit after tumbling left knee first into Oakland's bullpen mound making a good play on a foul ball. The play prompted a visit from manager Bob Melvin and an A's trainer:
Muncy played a lot of third base while with the big league club during spring training, getting 91 innings and 21 games at the position. In 2014, Muncy appeared in 22 games at third base and 86 games at first base for Double-A Midland. He has played 13 games at first base thus far for Triple-A Nashville in 2015 and one game at third. Muncy showed he could at least competently field third base when he ranged to his left on this game-ending double play:
On the hitting side this spring, Muncy went 12-for-33 with five doubles and two home runs, walking seven times and striking out five times for a .364/.463/.697 line. So far with Triple-A Nashville, Muncy is .293/.408/.466 over 71 plate appearances with five doubles, a triple, and a home run. He has walked 12 times and struck out 19 times.
Tyler Ladendorf would have been the usual next choice to add infield depth, but he is on the minor league disabled list.
