A's Max Muncy Undergoes Left Knee Surgery

In late September, the Athletics placed infielder Max Muncy on the IL with left knee chondromalacia and were unsure of what the next steps would be at that time, outside of the fact that he needed further evaluation. 

On Monday, the A's announced that Muncy underwent surgery on his left knee with Dr. Mike Banffy at the Cedars-Sinai Orthopedic Center in Los Angeles on Friday. Dr. Banffy performed a debridement of the cartilage under the medial patella as well as a PRP injection.

Muncy will begin rehabilitation immediately for a full return at Spring Training 2027.

When the A's placed Muncy on the IL on September 22, A's manager Mark Kotsay said that when they would use him, even at DH, his knee wouldn't respond well the next day. Now, after surgery, the hope is that he will be back to full strength next season.

This does present a bit of a hiccup to the A's potential offseason plans, however. With so many spots already covered on the position player side of things, there isn't a clear path for Muncy — even when fully healthy — to crack the A's roster to begin the season. 

We have speculated that his lack of a clear path to the roster coupled with the flashes of his upside we've seen could make him a trade candidate in the team's attempt to acquire pitching. Muncy is a former first-round selection and is still just 24 years old, which would certainly be appealing to other clubs.

In his time in the big leagues, Muncy has combined to hit .223 with a .280 OBP and a 76 wRC+ (100 is league average). This past season his strikeout rate sat at 32%, which is entirely too high to be a regular at the highest level. It also presents a clear fix that should lead to more success if it's cleaned up. 

Kotsay also mentioned during the season that Muncy's biggest improvement will be made in pitch recognition and in-zone swing decisions.

"I think when he controls the zone, and obviously swings at strikes, good things happen," Kotsay said in late August. He also noted that seeing those improvements the rest of the way would be important.

Muncy answered that call in his limited 12-game sample in September, batting .306 with a .342 OBP and a 121 wRC+. His strikeout rate was also a more manageable 26.3%, and he added a pair of home runs. 

He has the skills to be an everyday player in the big leagues, but injuries have slowed him down a little bit in getting those reps both in the minors and in the big leagues. Now the A's are running out of spots where there is regular playing time available, which is going to make it tough for Muncy to latch on with the club. 

The 2027 season will be his last with a minor-league option, meaning he'll be going into a defining year for his future.