A's prospect Ryan Lasko faces 'lengthy' recovery after back surgery

Athletics prospect Ryan Lasko said Thursday that he faces "a lengthy process" as he recovers from a broken back sustained during a collision in a minor league game on Tuesday night in Frisco, Texas.

Lasko, 24, was playing center field for Double-A Midland when he dove for a ball and collided with right fielder Devin Taylor, who also dove. Lasko laid motionless on the field for approximately 10 minutes before being carted off.

Lasko underwent spinal surgery Tuesday night at a hospital in Plano, Texas to repair a fractured C6-C7 vertebra. Doctors are hopeful he will regain movement in the lower half of his body.

"I'd like to thank everyone for the well wishes & prayers," Lasko said on his Instagram account. "I truly feel so loved and appreciated by everyone that has reached out. I am doing well and on the road to recovery. This is going to be a lengthy process but I hope to be able to get back to doing what I love."

Lasko also expressed thanks to the Midland organization and the Frisco RoughRiders, an affiliate of the Texas Rangers, for "making this a smooth process."

Athletics major league manager Mark Kotsay is taking the optimistic approach.

"The positive in the statement from the doctor is that there is not a definitive statement saying he's not going to regain feeling in his lower half," Kotsay told reporters.

Lasko was a second-round pick out of Rutgers in 2023 and is rated as the Athletics' No. 18 prospect by MLB Pipeline. He is batting .209 with six homers and 34 RBIs in 73 games this season.

--Field Level Media