Athletics rookie infielder Joshua Kuroda-Grauer landed on the injured list Tuesday with an issue no player wants.
Kuroda-Grauer suffered a ruptured testicle when he fouled a ball off his nether region in the fifth inning of Tuesday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Although he stayed on the ground for several minutes in extreme pain, he managed to get up and continue the at-bat. Remarkably, he singled moments later, then played third base for another full inning before leaving the game.
Joshua Kuroda-Grauer has undergone surgery for a ruptured testicle after this moment last night. Somehow he still singled right after.
— Baseball Is Dead (@baseballisdead_) July 21, 2026
All-time sports accomplishment. No debate. pic.twitter.com/Mql8VuE8UH
Kuroda-Grauer required emergency surgery to repair the rupture and is now resting comfortably in a Phoenix hospital, according to MLB.com. The Athletics haven't provided a timeline for his return.
"He's in great spirits. He was joking. His personality is amazing," A's manager Mark Kotsay said Tuesday after visiting Kuroda-Grauer in the hospital, according to Martín Gallegos of MLB.com. "I think he might be the only player in history to (rupture) a testicle, stay in the game, get a hit, and play another half inning of defense."
The injury is an unfortunate turn for Kuroda-Grauer, who was one of MLB's hottest hitters over the last month. Since being called up on June 29, the 23-year-old has posted .417/.435/.583 and recorded a hit in all but two of his 16 games with the A's. He hit his first major-league homer in the second inning of Monday's contest.
The A's recalled infielder Max Muncy from Triple-A Las Vegas in a corresponding roster move. Additionally, they placed reliever Mark Leiter Jr. on the IL with a right hip impingement and recalled right-hander Hayden Juenger.
