José Leclerc joined the Oakland Athletics looking for a fresh start, but his 2025 season turned into a disappointment. According to Martin Gallegos of MLB.com, Leclerc will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery. He has been sidelined since April 23 with a right lat strain and was moved from the 15-day to the 60-day injured list on April 30.
The procedure will be performed in Arlington by Dr. Keith Meister, the Texas Rangers’ team surgeon. Leclerc managed only 10 outings with the A’s, posting a 0–1 record with a 6.00 ERA, eight strikeouts, five walks, and one hold over nine innings. He failed to convert either of his two save opportunities.
Leclerc signed a one-year, $10 million contract with Oakland last offseason and is set to become a free agent after 2025. Prior to that, he spent his entire career with the Rangers, who signed him out of the Dominican Republic in 2010. He debuted in 2016 and was once seen as the club’s closer of the future, recording double-digit saves in 2018 and 2019.
His career trajectory shifted in 2020 when an elbow injury led to Tommy John surgery, forcing him to miss the entire 2021 season. He returned in 2022 and impressed enough to open 2023 as Texas’ closer, though he lost the role by late April. Still, he played a key role in the bullpen during the Rangers’ 2023 World Series run and served as a durable setup man in 2024, appearing in 64 games—his highest total since 2019.
Over his MLB career, Leclerc owns a 12–21 record with a 3.34 ERA, 41 saves, 481 strikeouts, and 205 walks across 369.1 innings, nearly all in relief.
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