Athletics infielder Zack Gelof sues Tigers over knee cut from exposed metal at Comerica Park

Athletics infielder and outfielder Zack Gelof sued the Detroit Tigers on Monday, saying exposed metal fencing along the left-field wall sliced open his right knee during a July 9 game at Comerica Park and kept him out of Major League Baseball for about a month.

The lawsuit, filed in Wayne County Circuit Court, names the Tigers, Ilitch Holdings Inc., and the Detroit-Wayne County Stadium Authority as defendants. It says Gelof was making a sliding catch on a third-inning fly ball when his right knee hit metal fencing that protruded into or alongside the playing area.

The complaint calls the fencing rigid, sharp, and inadequately protected. It says the collision tore Gelof's uniform and caused a deep cut beneath his kneecap that narrowly missed his patellar tendon.

Gelof left the game and missed 30 days in Major League Baseball. His lawyers say the injury cost him playing time and statistics, interrupted his development, and could affect future contracts and earnings.

The suit says the defendants failed to inspect, repair, redesign, relocate, guard, or provide adequate warnings about the fencing. It says the condition created an unreasonable risk of collision and laceration in an area where players routinely run and slide at high speed.

Gelof's attorney, Jon Marko, said an August photograph included in the complaint shows padding installed over the same area where Gelof was hurt.

"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," Marko said. "My son's little league diamond is safer."

Marko also called the placement of exposed metal near the field an obvious danger.

"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," he said.

The complaint asserts premises liability, negligence, and negligent design and construction claims. It also includes a claim against the stadium authority under Michigan's public-building exception to governmental immunity.

Gelof, 26, seeks damages for physical injuries, economic losses, medical expenses, and other costs. The complaint does not specify a dollar amount.

The Tigers, Ilitch Holdings, and the stadium authority did not immediately say whether they would respond to the filing. The next public step in the case is the defendants' formal response in Wayne County Circuit Court.