PHOENIX — The night a player hits his first Major League home run is one he will always remember. For Joshua Kuroda-Grauer, his special day will also be somewhat of a painful memory.
Three innings after launching his first big league homer in Monday’s 5-2 Athletics win over the D-backs at Chase Field, a booming Statcast-projected 416-foot solo shot in the top of the second off Arizona starter Mitch Bratt, Kuroda-Grauer struck a hard foul ball off his groin area and immediately fell to the ground in a considerable amount of pain, remaining down for a few minutes as he was checked on by an A’s trainer. He later departed with a testicular contusion, the A’s announced.
Helped up to his feet by manager Mark Kotsay, Kuroda-Grauer stayed in the game and even finished the at-bat by lining a single to center field, though it was clear he was still feeling the effects of the blow as he hunched down in obvious discomfort as he stood on first. Kuroda-Grauer went back out in the bottom of the fifth to play third base, but as the A’s took the field again for the bottom of the sixth, the 23-year-old rookie was replaced on defense by Donovan Walton.
Kuroda-Grauer was not available to the media postgame, as he was undergoing an ultrasound to determine the severity of his injury.
“Unfortunate event for KG,” Kotsay said. “He tried to stay in and battle. Right now, the big concern is [to make sure] there’s no significant injury to him. We’ll have further notice later on tonight, but, hopefully, things are OK.”
It goes without saying that losing him for any amount of extended time would be yet another tough blow in what has been an injury-riddled year for the club. Kuroda-Grauer has been a shining light during what has been a brutal stretch in which the A’s entered Monday having lost 19 of their past 23 games.
Since his big league debut on June 29, Kuroda-Grauer, rated the A’s No. 8 prospect by MLB Pipeline, has been scorching at the plate. Including his two hits Monday, the versatile infielder is now batting .417 (25-for-60) to begin his career. His 25 hits are tied with Eddie Murphy (1912) for most in A’s history by a player over his first 16 games.
“Hopefully, he’s good,” said A’s starter Jeffrey Springs, who limited the D-backs to two runs across five innings. “Since he’s come up here, he’s been just swinging the bat. Played a great third base today. He’s laying out for balls left and right and playing hard. … Heck of a start for him. He’s going to play a long time. He’s a great player and a great spark plug.”
In the absence of Kuroda-Grauer and right fielder Colby Thomas, who also exited early with a left wrist contusion after getting hit by a pitch, the A’s still managed to kick off this six-game road trip strong. They pulled away for good in a three-run seventh highlighted by Jeff McNeil’s pinch-hit go-ahead two-run single. That inning was made possible by A’s No. 7 prospect Tommy White, who hustled out an infield single — his fourth hit of the night — just before McNeil to keep the inning alive.
Desperate to keep their fading playoff hopes alive, Monday’s victory was one the A’s (43-57) hope can spark them on a run leading up to the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline.
“Tommy’s effort down the line was huge,” Kotsay said. “The pinch-hit by McNeil, this is a guy that’s been grinding and battling. … There were a lot of positives tonight. A lot of things we need to build some confidence around this offense and this team.”
White and Kuroda-Grauer have quickly formed a close bond since joining the A’s organization together as 2024 Draft picks. That’s why it should come as no surprise that on a night he notched a career-high four hits, White took more pleasure in seeing his close friend round the bases for his first big fly.
“I was so pumped up for him,” White said. “Seeing that ball go out for him was the light of my world. I was super happy to see that.”
