A’s Rookie Joshua Kuroda-Grauer’s Milestone Night Turns Into Emergency Surgery For Ruptured testicle After Brutal Foul Ball

Joshua Kuroda-Grauer (Image: A's)

What began as a career-defining night for Athletics rookie Joshua Kuroda-Grauer ended in an operating room, after a foul ball off his own bat left him with a ruptured testicle that required emergency surgery.

The former Rutgers standout had authored a highlight moment just innings earlier, launching a 416-foot solo home run — the first of his major league career — off Arizona starter Mitch Bratt during Oakland’s 5-2 win over the Diamondbacks on Monday. The celebration didn’t last.

Later in the game, Kuroda-Grauer fouled a pitch straight off the handle of his bat, sending it careening directly into his groin. He crumpled to the ground in obvious agony but, in a display of grit that quickly made the rounds online, managed to finish out the at-bat and slap a single into center field before eventually being lifted for a pinch runner in the sixth inning.

The severity of the injury wasn’t immediately clear in the moment. Kuroda-Grauer was taken to a hospital in Phoenix for further evaluation, where doctors confirmed the rupture and rushed him into surgery that same night. He has since undergone the procedure successfully, according to the club.

Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter!

A week of sports news in your in-box.
We find the sports news you need to know, so you don't have to.

Oakland formally placed him on the 10-day injured list Tuesday, alongside reliever Mark Leiter Jr., who is dealing with a separate ailment. Team officials have not offered a specific timetable for Kuroda-Grauer’s return, though the nature of the injury makes it likely he’ll need considerably longer than the minimum stint to recover fully.

The rookie had been drawing notice for his production at the plate before the injury, and the home run represented a breakthrough moment in what’s shaping up as a promising first full season. For now, though, his focus shifts to recovery rather than building on that early power surge, with the Athletics left to navigate the middle infield without him in the interim.

Injuries of this nature, while rare, aren’t unheard of in professional baseball — Seattle’s Mitch Haniger suffered a similar rupture in years past after being struck by a foul ball, underscoring just how vulnerable players remain to freak, split-second incidents even amid otherwise routine at-bats.