PHOENIX, July 21 — Oakland Athletics rookie infielder Joshua Kuroda-Grauer was placed on the 10-day injured list on Tuesday, a day after undergoing emergency surgery for a ruptured testicle suffered during a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The injury occurred in the fifth inning of Monday night’s 5-2 Athletics win at Chase Field. Kuroda-Grauer fouled off a pitch that ricocheted off his body.
He remained at the plate for several moments before lining a base hit to right-center field. He finished the night 2-for-3, including his first career home run.
Despite the injury, Kuroda-Grauer stayed in the game defensively at third base until being replaced by Donovan Walton in the bottom of the seventh inning. The Athletics announced the IL move on July 21, allowing the team to replace him on the active roster while he recovers from surgery. Typical healing after surgical repair for a ruptured testicle takes four to six weeks, though a return to full baseball activities may require additional time for pain management and complete healing.
A Rookie Making His Mark
Kuroda-Grauer had been a key contributor since his call-up. The Athletics’ 2026 season has seen strong performances from younger players. His absence leaves a noticeable gap in the infield.
The team will now rely on Walton and other infielders to fill the role during his recovery. The team moved from Oakland after the 2024 season, relocating first to West Sacramento in 2025 and then to the Las Vegas metropolitan area on a permanent basis.
A Franchise in Transition
The Athletics’ history includes stops in Philadelphia, Kansas City, and Oakland from 1968 to 2024. During those years in Oakland, the team won four World Series championships, six American League pennants, and 17 Western Division titles. Seventeen former Oakland Athletics players were elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, with Dennis Eckersley, Rollie Fingers, Rickey Henderson, and Dick Williams depicted wearing an Oakland Athletics cap.
The move out of Oakland followed years of uncertainty over the aging Oakland Coliseum and the inability to secure taxpayer funding for a new ballpark. The relocation ended professional major league sports in Oakland.
The Athletics had an overall win-loss record of 4,614–4,387–1 during their Oakland tenure, a .513 winning percentage over 56 seasons. Early success came under owner Charlie Finley, who moved the team from Kansas City to Oakland for the 1968 season. That year, pitcher Jim “Catfish” Hunter threw a perfect game against the Minnesota Twins, the American League’s first during the regular season since 1922.
What Comes Next
For now, the Athletics will navigate the coming weeks without one of their emerging young players. Walton and the rest of the infield will shoulder the workload while Kuroda-Grauer recovers from surgery. The exact timeline for his return remains uncertain, though the four-to-six-week typical healing window offers a rough benchmark for when the rookie might rejoin the lineup.
