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One of MLB’s top trade prospects ahead of the Aug. 3 deadline could be out for the remainder of the season.
Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers, who was having a career year behind the dish and in the batter’s box, suffered a torn meniscus that could force him to miss the remainder of the season, according to ESPN.
The 28-year-old injured his knee while running on the basepaths, and now he and the team are considering whether to have surgery to repair the torn knee.
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The Athletics’ Shea Langeliers is seen in the dugout after hitting a solo home run in the eighth inning during a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, in Phoenix, Arizona. (MLB Photos)
If surgery is the decision, ESPN reports that would be the end of Langeliers’ 2026 campaign.
But regardless, teams that were interested in a potential trade for the All-Star receiver are most likely out of the running now. Langeliers is considered one of the best at his position in MLB, which is why the A’s had no plans to move him despite a 44-60 record this year that puts them on the outside of the playoffs.
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Langeliers has been the team’s best player, representing them in their first-ever All-Star Game earlier this month. And he’s doing it while others like Nick Kurtz, Brent Rooker and Jacob Wilson are dealing with injuries themselves.
Langeliers is slashing .263/.332/.497 this season with an .829 OPS, 23 home runs and 51 RBIs. These are the numbers the A’s hoped Langeliers would post this season after a successful 2025 campaign that included 31 homers and a career-high .861 OPS.
Shea Langeliers of the Athletics bats during the third inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on July 21, 2026, in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks defeated the Athletics 6-5. (Getty Images)
He was on the verge of reaching further career highs, but this injury puts a damper on all that.
And those playoff contenders would be just as disappointed if they hoped the A’s would change their stance on moving Langeliers before the deadline. The New York Yankees, for their part, are a team that should be in the catching market before the deadline, and the A’s about Langeliers probably would have happened.
Now, catchers like Hunter Goodman of the Colorado Rockies and Adley Rutschman of the Baltimore Orioles could see an uptick in interest among teams hoping to bolster the position for a playoff push.
Shea Langeliers #23 of the Athletics prepares in the batter’s box against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona on July 20, 2026. (Getty Images)
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The A’s will have to move on with Jonah Heim moving forward with Langeliers sidelined, and he himself has also been part of the trade conversations due to his veteran prowess. However, he is moving into a starting role and may not be as available.
