Josh Reddick Could Go Under the Knife

A tweet this afternoon from MLB.com’s Jane Lee noted that if Josh Reddick was unable to swing in the next week he may consider surgery to repair his ailing right wrist.  Presumably such a procedure would put Reddick out another couple of months, putting him back on the field some time shortly after the All Star break.  He had surgery on his left wrist in 2011, and missed about two months time.  Needless to say, news like this could come as a curse and a blessing.

Apr 27, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics outfielder Josh Reddick (16) reacts after hitting a pop fly against the Baltimore Orioles in the third inning at O.Co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

It’s been well documented so far this season how badly Reddick has struggled offensively, and those struggles seemed to indicate more than just a simple regression to the mean after his breakout 2012 campaign.  This year, in 109 plate appearances Reddick has posted an unbelievably low .152/.266/.250 slash line with just 1 home run.  His ISO of just .098 is well below the league average of .145.  In comparison, his ISO in 2012 was a robust .221.  So obviously he’s not only failing to make consistent contact, but when he does he is not driving the ball.  I’ve chronicled how it is not a recent phenomenon that Reddick has struggled at the plate, this has been going on since last August.  So the wrist absolutely cannot be blamed entirely for his problems.  Even last year down the stretch Reddick ran into a few home runs, but it’s only happened just the one solitary time this year.

The point is, he got homer happy last year, and his consistency dipped dramatically.  This year, he continued his homer happy ways, and mixed in a wrist injury that sapped almost all of his power.  That sounds like the recipe for the poor stats he posted so far.

Reddick needs to get the wrist problem taken care of, whether it’s through rehab or through surgery.  He may never develop into a consistent hitter, but if he supplies enough power, he won’t have to (Look at some of the season’s Adam Dunn has posted… not that Reddick is on his level).  The A’s are hurting right now, bad.  With the impending returns of Coco Crisp and Chris Young, the team will be able to afford to give Reddick all the time he needs to get healthy.  If he gets right, the team could enjoy a nice injection of offense in the middle of the season when he returns.