MLB: Brent Rooker ruled out for season after knee injury

WEST SACRAMENTO: The Athletics have suffered a major setback after designated hitter Brent Rooker was ruled out for the remainder of the season and will undergo surgery to repair a cartilage tear in his left knee.

The injury was confirmed following a medical examination at Stanford on Tuesday, bringing an early end to Rooker's campaign after he had already spent several weeks on the injured list.

"This is a big blow," manager Mark Kotsay said on Wednesday before the Athletics faced the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"It's a middle-of-the-order bat. It's a guy that produced for us offensively for the last three seasons with 30-plus homers. There's not one guy that is going to come in here and step in with that type of production. We'll do our best to fill that void and make the best of the situation."

A two-time All-Star, Rooker has not appeared since June 8. The 31-year-old had a knee pain as well as a long-term oblique problem and was plagued by injury this season.

He was placed on the IL on June 12th and retroacted to June 9. Before his injury, Rooker was batting .200 with 10 home runs and 29 RBIs. His poor campaign was despite having looked impressive in 2025, appearing in 162 of the 162 regular-season games.

The Athletics have suffered more than just injuries to Rooker. Three more regular starters were put on the injured list in late June, including infielders Zack Gelof (bruised right hand) and Jacob Wilson (right thumb inflammation), and left fielder Tyler Soderstrom, recovering from a left hip impingement.

The injury list continues to grow, and that is a major hurdle for the Athletics as they prepare to deal with not having a number of key players for the rest of the season.