The Oakland Athletics got the worst case scenario news on Monday as Scott Sizemore's MRI revealed a torn ACL. The team is reporting the diagnosis and that Sizemore will be out for the 2012 season. According to Susan Slusser, Sizemore will wait two weeks for surgery as he needs the swelling in his knee to go down. Sizemore hurt the knee during a fielding drill, going down down with what onlookers described as an audible pop.
The end of Sizemore's season means there is now a wide open battle at third base. The battle will include Wes Timmons, Adam Rosales and Eric Sogard, as well as newly converted Josh Donaldson, who had previously been a catcher. As Slusser pointed out, the A's look at Rosales and Sogard primarily as utility players who can fill in around the infield. That could give Donaldson a better shot at winning the job out of camp. Donaldson actually spent his winter in the Dominican league playing third base, boosting his chances of getting a starting job.
The A's get the competition in gear with an intra-squad game on Thursday and get their first opponent Saturday when they host the Seattle Mariners.