New Delhi, April 09, 2021: Athletics utility man Chad Pinder had a very successful start to the season before colliding with the outfield wall on Sunday against the Houston Astros.
Pinder sustained a left knee sprain and according to A’s head trainer Nick Paparesta, the 29-year-old has a few hurdles to clear before returning.
“He’s got a little fluid in the knee that we need to get out of there, and get some strengthening components back in there,” Paparesta said Thursday. “We’ve really been kind of laying off any baseball activity with him right now.”
Pinder currently is back in Oakland rehabbing his knee while the team is on the road.
Paparesta says Pinder is week-to-week at his point and the team will have more information when they return to Oakland.
In 10 plate appearances, Pinder is hitting .300 with a home run and two RBI.
Right out of the gate, Pinder made two impressive diving catches on Opening Night after successfully scouting batting practice session where he retrieved fly balls in the outfield according to the reports published in sports.yahoo.com.
A’s manager Bob Melvin and starter Chris Bassitt weren’t surprised by his defensive prowess, but Pinder was well on his way to proving himself as an everyday player. And if that wasn’t the case, he showed how valuable he is with a pinch-hit homer in the second game of the season.
Injuries aren’t easy to handle, but losing one of it’s most versatile players is a particularly tough blow for the A’s.
