Mark Kotsay will have surgery to repair a herniated disk in his back and is expected to miss at least eight-to-12 weeks.
This is something Kotsay could have gotten done back in November had he been more aggressive about it, and considering that the A's are paying him $15 million over the next two years, they deserve better from the center fielder. Don't count on seeing Kotsay back before June, and it wouldn't come as much of a surprise to see him miss the entire first half. The A's will likely go with Milton Bradley in center field, Nick Swisher in right, Shannon Stewart in left and Dan Johnson at first base. Bobby Kielty will take over as the fourth outfielder once he's recovered from knee surgery. This would also seem to open the door for Rule 5 pick Ryan Goleski to make the team.
Lou Merloni suffered a concussion after being hit in the helmet by a pitch Tuesday.
"It was an eye-opening experience," Merloni said. "I don't really remember much about yesterday. I knew what happened and I was conscious. Even after, it was scary just knowing how lucky I was." A CAT scan showed no damage and Merloni said Wednesday that he expects to return soon.
Mike Piazza remains day-to-day after being hit on the left elbow by a pitch Tuesday.
"It's just stiff," Piazza said. "It's feeling a little better and will hopefully improve. It's spring, so it's better to err on the side of caution."