Athletics shut down José Leclerc and say the reliever will have right shoulder surgery

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HOUSTON (AP) — The Athletics have shut down pitcher José Leclerc and say the reliever will have right shoulder surgery.

The A's Brian Schulman, the director of sports medicine and performance, said Friday that Dr. Keith Meister will perform the surgery in Dallas “in the upcoming weeks.”

Leclerc has been on the injured list since April 23 with a right lat strain. He had started to play catch, but Schulman said the instability of his shoulder would not allow him to throw with more effort and intensity.

“This is a tough one, not just for us but for him, personally,” Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said. “You never know what the surgery is going to entail. We’re hopeful that there’s a quick recovery for him, for his career.”

The 31-year-old Leclerc appeared in 10 games for the Athletics this season after signing a one-year, $10 million contract in January. He has a 6.00 ERA with eight strikeouts over nine innings.

Leclerc has a career record of 12-21 and 41 saves with a 3.34 ERA in 369 1/3 innings in 360 games with 481 strikeouts since breaking in with Texas in 2016. He was with the Rangers through the 2024 season.

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