Full Breakdown
Ryan Lasko Leaves Rehab Facility Two Months After Spinal-Cord Injury
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Discharge from Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation
Ryan Lasko, the 24-year-old outfield prospect of the Oakland Athletics, was released from the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in West Orange, New Jersey, two months after being admitted for a severe spinal-cord injury. Staff marked his departure with a “clap out” ceremony as he rolled out in his wheelchair.
Background & Context: Injury, Surgery, and Early Recovery
On June 30, Lasko collided with teammate Devin Taylor while pursuing a fly ball in a Double-A game in Frisco, Texas. The impact fractured his C6 and C7 vertebrae, left him paralyzed from the chest down and impaired both arms. He underwent emergency spinal decompression and stabilization surgery on July 1 and was then transferred to Kessler for intensive therapy. Early reports noted the return of sensation in his legs and arms.
Timeline
- June 30 – Collision; injury occurs.
- July 1 – Emergency spinal surgery.
- Early July – Admission to Kessler Institute.
- July 27 – Lasko posted that sensation returned from his feet to his knees and that he had partial hand function.
- Mid-September – Discharged and begins outpatient therapy at home.
Data & Statistics: Measurable Progress
- Sensation restored from feet up to knees, with involuntary leg movements.
- Approximately 75 % use of his left hand and 50 % use of his right hand.
- Tingling reported in legs, feet, thighs, hamstrings, and back.
These figures were shared by Lasko on July 27 and confirmed by rehabilitation staff.
Official Statements & Responses
- Medical and therapy teams described the progress as “encouraging.”
- Patti Lasko, the athlete’s mother, said the discharge marks “a new beginning.”
- Athletics manager Mark Kotsay noted that doctors have not ruled out the possibility of regaining lower-body feeling.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I've kind of stopped trying to look that far ahead because they keep telling me it's two months, this is only the beginning still, but it feels like it's been forever,” — Ryan Lasko
What’s Next: Outpatient Therapy and Home Recovery
Lasko will return to his hometown of Jackson, New Jersey, before moving to a nearby hotel for roughly two months of continued outpatient therapy. He plans to focus on daily tasks such as opening a water bottle and other incremental independence goals. He described the next steps as “scary” and filled with “a lot more unknown.”
*All information is drawn from contemporaneous reports and statements from the athlete, his family, medical staff, and the Oakland Athletics organization.*