OAKLAND — It crossed Chris Herrmann’s mind some time this April: there was a chance, at least, that the catcher wouldn’t return to the show.
Pain still ached through his surgically repaired right knee and reality hit. Herrmann hadn’t had a serious injury since a freak tubing accident on a lake left him with a torn labrum back in high school. He hadn’t had surgery since he broke his hand with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2016.
“But things like that, you know you’re gonna come back,” Herrmann said before Wednesday’s game. “I was still fairly young. I’m 31 and had knee surgery and it’s just like, oh gosh, I really hope this goes well because I don’t know what’s going to happen next year or the rest of my career.