Athletics player Zack Gelof is suing the Detroit Tigers, claiming he was injured by a piece of fencing along the third-base side of the infield at Comerica Park.
The claims stems from a sliding catch on a foul ball Gelof made while playing left field in the third inning of the Athletics' 4-1 loss against the Tigers on July 9.
"After making the catch" Gelof's "right knee violently struck an exposed dangerous metal fence on the side wall that protruded into or alongside the playing area," the complaint claims.
The Free Press left a message seeking comment with Tigers on Tuesday, Sept. 29. Representatives of the team did not immediately respond.
The complaint goes on to describe the fence as "rigid, sharp, inadequately protected" and in a place where
players would need to run and slide to catch such foul balls.
"The collision tore plaintiff Zach Gelof's uniform and caused a deep laceration beneath his right kneecap that narrowly missed the patellar tendon," the complaint says.
Gelof left the game writhing in pain and missed 30 days of play, according to the complaint.
The lawsuit was filed Monday, Sept. 28, in Wayne County Circuit Court. In addition to the Tigers, it also names Ilitch Holdings, which owns the team, and the Detroit-Wayne County Stadium Authority, which owns Comerica Park. It claims the team and park were negligent in not recognizing the danger the fence posed. It also seeks damages under Michigan's premises liability law which can make owners liable for some injuries incurred on their property.
Zack Gelof exits the game after sliding into the left-field fence to make this catch 🙏 pic.twitter.com/BwkNHC5C14
— Athletics on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) July 9, 2026
The complaint says the team installed padding on the area shortly after the incident. It also says that after the game, Tigers left fielder Riley Greene "acknowledged to reporters that the specific area along that wall is made of metal and can be quite unforgiving during a hard slide."
The suit seeks compensation for pain and suffering, economic loss, lost wages, emotional and mental distress, medical bills, attorney fees and other damages. It doesn't specify an amount.
Attorney Jon Marko, who filed the suit along with Gasper Stare, said the injury was easily preventable.
"It doesn't take a stadium design expert to realize that sharp metal fencing in an area where players are required to slide and play around is a recipe for disaster like the one that occurred here," Marko said in a statement. "All they had to do was put cheap padding up like they did after Zack was injured and this entire incident could have been avoided. My son's little league diamond is safer."
Contact John Wisely: jwisely@freepress.com. On X: @jwisely
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Athletics player sues Detroit Tigers over injury at Comerica Park
