A's manager says no surgery yet for Crisp: We'll have to deal with it like we did last year

Should veteran outfielder Coco Crisp opt for surgery on his troublesome neck, there's no guarantee the 35-year-old would make it back to the major leagues.

As such, Oakland Athletics manager Bob Melvin indicated Friday that Crisp's ailing neck - hurt Tuesday while attempting a diving catch in Houston - will be treated with rest and rehab.

“The MRI basically showed the same thing as last year,’’ Melvin told reporters. “So if you are talking about surgery, that probably means a bad outcome for him as far as his playing career. So we are going to have to deal with it like we did last year, be proactive with it and if there are some issues, we’re going to have to give him some time off. If there are significant issues, we’re going to have to DL him. We’re just going to try and keep him as healthy as we can.’’

Crisp was diagnosed with chronic neck problems in July, but surgery - in which a couple of metal rods would be inserted into his neck to correct disc spacing - would come with a recommendation that he stop playing baseball.

Instead, the Athletics may attempt to alleviate Crisp's discomfort through trigger point therapy, as they did last summer, though a timetable for his return remains unclear at this point.

According to John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group, it's very likely Crisp will be placed on the disabled list prior to Saturday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays. Through 13 games this season, Crisp is just 2-for-45 (.044) with 10 strikeouts and seven walks.