Ryan Lasko left inpatient rehabilitation Wednesday with a standing ovation from the people who helped carry him through the first difficult months of his recovery, more than two months after the Athletics minor league outfielder was paralyzed in a collision on the field.
The 24-year-old Lasko received a surprise “clap out” from staff at the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in New Jersey, an emotional sendoff for a player whose goal upon arrival was simply to reclaim as much independence as he could.
“When I arrived, they asked what I wanted to accomplish,” Lasko said. “I told them I wanted to be as independent as possible. I’ve reached that point and checked off a lot of things. Tasks I said I couldn’t handle before, I can do now — even something as basic as opening a bottle of water, which people usually never think twice about.”
From a right-center collision to the next stage
Lasko was playing center field for Double-A Midland on June 30 when he and right fielder Devin Taylor converged on a ball in the right-center gap. Both players went after the hit, and Lasko was seriously injured in the collision while diving for it.
He was taken from the field on a cart and brought to a nearby hospital. Doctors performed spinal decompression and stabilization surgery after he suffered fractures between the C6 and C7 vertebrae.
By July 28, Lasko reported that feeling had begun to return in his legs and said he was feeling considerably better. Dr. Jonathan Poggi, who conducted the initial operation, has said there is optimism that Lasko can regain complete feeling in the lower part of his body, although the recovery is expected to require time and patience.
A second-round selection out of Rutgers in the 2023 Draft, Lasko now moves into outpatient therapy. The next part of the work will come without the daily routine of an inpatient facility, but he leaves having regained pieces of ordinary life that once seemed out of reach.
SEO Title: Ryan Lasko Leaves Rehab After Midland Outfield Collision
SEO Description: Athletics prospect Ryan Lasko has been discharged from inpatient rehabilitation after his June 30 spinal injury, beginning outpatient therapy as his recovery continues.
