Dallas Braden To Undergo Surgery

According to the Oakland A’s official team website, LHP Dallas Braden will undergo shoulder surgery on Monday in New York to repair a torn capsule in his left shoulder.

Injury problems have not been uncommon in Oakland, as the A’s battle injuries seeming every season. This year, however, the A’s have a little more depth than they’ve had in recent year. Losing Braden, however, is a tough blow to Oakland’s rotation, regardless of how deep it may be.

In just three starts this season, Braden went 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA. At 27, he was considered the “veteran” of Oakland’s young, talented rotation. The A’s lefty will undergo surgery in New York, but it’s still unknown as to how much time he’ll miss. Oakland expects to hear from Dr. David Altchek, who serves as a medical director to the New York Mets.

The A’s starting rotation has been the team’s one bright spot, as the team leads the majors in ERA (2.75). Youngsters like Trevor Cahill, Brett Anderson, and Gio Gonzalez have performed well this season.

Perhaps more importantly, however, is the fact that Braden’s replacement, Tyson Ross, has also performed well. In seven appearances (four starts), Ross is 2-2 with a 2.51 ERA.

The A’s were right to add depth this offseason, as the team has managed to keep close to the .500 mark through the first month and a half, despite missing some of its star players (Andrew Bailey, Adam Rosales, Rich Harden, Braden).