Athletics player Zack Gelof sues Detroit Tigers after getting hurt in their stadium

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A player for the Athletics Major League Baseball team is suing the Detroit Tigers after he suffered an injury while playing at the team's Comerica Park.

Zack Gelof, a third baseman for the Athletics, alleges in his lawsuit that he was injured while attempting to catch a fly ball during a game on July 9, 2026.

During the third inning, Gelof made a sliding catch in an attempt to snag the fly ball, but claims his right knee "violently struck an exposed dangerous metal fence on the side wall that protruded into or alongside the playing area,” according to ESPN.

He claims that the collision ripped his uniform and gave him a deep laceration below his right kneecap, forcing him to be removed from the game. Gelof further claims he was forced to miss 30 days of work and games due to his injury.

The lawsuit argues that the metal fencing was sharp, exposed, and was not properly protected while being present in an area where players might run and slide into or near it during plays.

It claims there was insufficient padding, inadequate space between the playing area and the fence, sharp metal present at the site that posed a risk to players colliding with the structure, that the Tigers organization failed to repair, redesign, or relocate the fence, and that it failed to warn players about the potential hazard.

Marko Law, the firm representing Gelof, further claimed that the Tigers knew or should have known that a player could potentially collide with the fence.

"Professional stadiums and ballparks have a fundamental responsibility to ensure that their playing surfaces and surrounding structures are reasonably safe for the athletes whose talent and performance drive the sport and league revenues," Marko Law said in a statement.

It said the lawsuit intends to hold "Defendants accountable for allowing a foreseeable hazard to remain in the field of play and to recover the full measure of Gelof’s physical, professional, and economic damages."

Gelof is seeking compensation for “severe” pain and suffering, lost wages, economic loss, mental and emotional distress, “significant” medical bills, his attorney fees, and other damages.

The lawsuit was filed in the Wayne County Circuit Court on Monday, September 28.

"We are aware of the lawsuit and do not comment on pending litigation," the Tigers said in a statement on Tuesday.