Coco Crisp could return to A’s as soon as Friday

There was good news in the Oakland Athletics clubhouse on Wednesday. Team leader and offensive spark Coco Crisp could return to the team as soon as Friday’s game against the Houston Astros.

Crisp has been dealing with chronic neck issues all season and an MRI in late July revealed “chronic degenerative changes” in his neck from a collision with the center field wall in Oakland early in the season. He’s since had quite a few more of these jarring collisions, while either making or almost making some very spectacular catches.

In Oakland the saying goes if something like this, “if Coco is hot then the team gets hot” and that has been historically true since Crisp became a member of the A’s in 2010. The 34-year old veteran is a huge presence and force in the Oakland clubhouse which is likely why the team has been hesitant all season to actually put him on the disabled list.

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Crisp has been out since an especially painful collision in Anaheim over the weekend, almost saving the A’s from a home run off the bat of Chris Iannetta. Unfortunately he hit the wall so hard that he wasn’t even sure if the ball was in his glove and had to have fellow outfielder Sam Fuld check his glove for him as he laid on the field in obvious pain.

I am sure you are wondering where the good news in this story lies. Well according to Aaron Leibowitz at MLB.com, Crisp recieved a series of “trigger point injections” that left him feeling much, much better. 

"“We didn’t have him do anything yesterday based on the shots,” Manager Bob Melvin said Wednesday, “so if he feels that much better today, and with the off-day tomorrow, hopefully we have a chance on Friday.”"

Hopefully he will be back in the lineup as soon as Friday. He plays such an important role and is the major player in keeping the team chemistry flowing. The A’s need to rekindle their chemistry if they want to even make the playoffs.

After having the best record in baseball for the majority of the season, the Athletics now find themselves four games behind the Los Angeles Angels in the American League Western Division.

There is still a chance they could surpass the Angels but moreso they need to hold on to the top A.L. wild cared spot where they are only leading the Detroit Tigers by three games. The A’s will need Coco Crisp as healthy as possible to hold on to their playoff spot.