OAKLAND -- A's designated hitter Frank Thomas was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Thursday with a strained right quadriceps.
Thomas left Wednesday's game after hitting a single in the third inning and said before the game that he was a little wiped out. The 38-year-old veteran missed four games earlier in the season from May 12-16 and didn't play on Sunday against the Yankees with pain in his right hamstring.
Trainer Larry Davis said that it was obvious that Thomas was in pain during Wednesday's game.
"Frank tried to do more than the leg was going to let him do," Davis said. "Ultimately, he was going to end up hurting something else [if he stayed out there]. We know that [his quadriceps] doesn't hurt him when he is hitting, but you watch him try to run and it just wasn't working."
Davis also said that Thomas' pain in his quadriceps and foot have all likely stemmed from hamstring pain.
"[Professional athletes] are masters of adaptation," Davis said. "If [they] don't have any hip rotation and can't turn, [they] are going to use [their] back to do it. [Thomas] is trying to protect [his injury] consciously or subconsciously.
"When you try to compensate, that puts you at risk of injury to another part of your anatomy."
Davis said that he hopes that Thomas will be able to run comfortably in 15-to-20 days without having to compensate for any part of his right leg.
Before Wednesday's game, manager Ken Macha said he didn't want to have to put Thomas on the DL, even though Thomas would only be a pinch-hitter when the team starts an Interleague series on Monday at Colorado.
"I was hoping that we would at least have him available to pinch-hit in [Interleague Play]," said Macha on Thursday. "But maybe in the long run that [putting him on the DL] is the best course of action."
After starting the season batting below .200, Thomas is batting .313 with 10 home runs, 24 RBIs and a .452 on-base percentage over the last 27 games.
Thomas left Wednesday's game after hitting a single in the third inning and said before the game that he was a little wiped out. The 38-year-old veteran missed four games earlier in the season from May 12-16 and didn't play on Sunday against the Yankees with pain in his right hamstring.
Trainer Larry Davis said that it was obvious that Thomas was in pain during Wednesday's game.
"Frank tried to do more than the leg was going to let him do," Davis said. "Ultimately, he was going to end up hurting something else [if he stayed out there]. We know that [his quadriceps] doesn't hurt him when he is hitting, but you watch him try to run and it just wasn't working."
Davis also said that Thomas' pain in his quadriceps and foot have all likely stemmed from hamstring pain.
"[Professional athletes] are masters of adaptation," Davis said. "If [they] don't have any hip rotation and can't turn, [they] are going to use [their] back to do it. [Thomas] is trying to protect [his injury] consciously or subconsciously.
"When you try to compensate, that puts you at risk of injury to another part of your anatomy."
Davis said that he hopes that Thomas will be able to run comfortably in 15-to-20 days without having to compensate for any part of his right leg.
Before Wednesday's game, manager Ken Macha said he didn't want to have to put Thomas on the DL, even though Thomas would only be a pinch-hitter when the team starts an Interleague series on Monday at Colorado.
"I was hoping that we would at least have him available to pinch-hit in [Interleague Play]," said Macha on Thursday. "But maybe in the long run that [putting him on the DL] is the best course of action."
After starting the season batting below .200, Thomas is batting .313 with 10 home runs, 24 RBIs and a .452 on-base percentage over the last 27 games.
