Oakland Athletics' Esteury Ruiz Undergoes Knee Surgery to Cap Off Injury-Plagued Season

Esteury Ruiz went down with a wrist injury in May, but now it is arthroscopic knee surgery that will extend the Oakland Athletics outfielder's rehab into the offseason.

May 4, 2024; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics outfielder Esteury Ruiz (1) walks off the field with manager Mark Kotsay (7) (left) and head athletic trainer Jeffrey Collins after an injury during the sixth inning against the Miami Marlins at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. / Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

Oakland Athletics outfielder Esteury Ruiz underwent arthroscopic right knee surgery on Tuesday, the team has announced.

The surgery, which was successful, was performed by Dr. Dan Cooper at the Carrell Clinic in Dallas, Texas. The procedure included a patella tendon debridement and a chondroplasty procedure.

Ruiz will undergo rehab over the course of the offseason, although it remains to be seen if he will be 100% healthy by the time Spring Training starts in February.

A’s announce Esteury Ruiz underwent arthroscopic right knee surgery today in Texas. pic.twitter.com/QCqa4ZO20r

— Martín Gallegos (@MartinJGallegos) September 24, 2024

The Athletics had already ruled Ruiz out for the rest of the 2024 season, but not with a knee injury.

Ruiz suffered a sprained left wrist on May 22, immediately hitting the injured list. He started a minor league rehab assignment Single-A Stockton on July 9, but he was shut down with additional wrist discomfort and sent for reevaluation on July 22.

That wrist injury limited Ruiz to just 29 games at the MLB level this season. He hit .200 with two home runs, eight RBI, five stolen bases, a .652 OPS and a -0.2 WAR.

Ruiz was an everyday player for the A's in 2023, batting .254 with a .654 OPS and -0.1 WAR. He recorded five home runs and 47 RBI in 132 games, on top of leading the American League with 67 stolen bases.

Despite that production, Ruiz got optioned to the minors just three games into the 2024 campaign. Some fans attributed that transaction to Ruiz wearing a "Last Dive Bar" wristband, aligning himself with a brand that routinely pushed for John Fisher to sell the team.

When he did rejoin the big league roster, Ruiz hit .308 with two home runs and a 1.240 OPS in his six games back.

Prior to his time in Oakland, Ruiz bounced around between the Kansas City Royals, San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers. He was one of five players the A's got back when they traded away All-Star catcher Sean Murphy and veteran relief pitcher Joel Payamps in December 2022.

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