OAKLAND, Calif. - Oakland Athletics second baseman Scott Sizemore is scheduled for a second reconstructive surgery on his left knee Tuesday, another blow for the infielder and reigning AL West champions after he missed all of last season.
Sizemore will meet with Dr. James Andrews in Pensacola, Fla., on Monday, then have surgery to repair the torn anterior cruciate ligament.
The 28-year-old Sizemore was hurt 14 months ago during the first full-squad workout of spring training in 2012 and missed the season with the same injury. He batted .216 with six RBIs, a double and triple during 21 spring training games.
"It was hard for me to watch, my stomach dropped," teammate and infielder Adam Rosales said. "Obviously my heart goes out to him, it really does. Size is strong, he's a competitor. I hope the best for him."
Sizemore was a fifth-round draft pick in 2006 out of Virginia Commonwealth by the Tigers, who were in town Friday to open a three-game weekend series at the Oakland Coliseum.
In 110 games between Detroit and the A's in 2011, Sizemore hit a combined .245 with 11 home runs and 56 RBIs. He was 0 for 5 this season before injuring the knee Tuesday on the road against the Angels when hustled to shallow right field on a bloop single by Mike Trout that fell between Sizemore and Chris Young.
Tigers manager Jim Leyland felt terrible for Sizemore, placed on the disabled list Wednesday.
"Yeah, anybody like that, any player that does that, particularly somebody you know, absolutely," Leyland said.
"That's some real tough luck. The biggest thing about this, is I don't think anybody, unless they've gone through it, including myself, understands how brutal that rehab can be when people get hurt. I'm talking about whether it be the shoulder, elbow, ankle, whatever. Some of those rehabs are so brutal, and they work so hard. It's a crying shame, yes, without question."
A's athletic trainer Nick Paparesta didn't want to speculate Friday how Andrews would decide to repair the torn ACL this time after using a tendon from Sizemore's hamstring when operating in March 2012. It also could be done with cadaver tissue or a patellar tendon.
Former A's catcher Landon Powell needed two ACL surgeries, so Oakland's medical staff has been through this process.
"It's not something that happens a lot, but we have a little bit of history with it," Paparesta said.
Eric Sogard will become the regular second baseman, while utilityman Rosales will provide some depth once he returns from a strained muscle in his left ribcage area.
Rosales still needed to face live hitting and throw across the diamond before he goes on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento.
"Those are the small, little steps, tests I've got to put my body through," he said.
Shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima, on the DL with a strained left hamstring, was set to take groundballs and do some running as he continues to progress before going on his own rehab assignment.
"We're going to take the homestand and see how things go," Paparesta said of both Rosales and Nakajima.
