The Athletics are bracing for a pair of roster hits, with first baseman Nick Kurtz expected to land on the injured list because of a right thumb strain and Zack Gelof also headed there with a knee laceration.
Kurtz’s injury comes with some uncertainty around when it happened. He left Wednesday’s game against the Tigers because of an illness, then was back in the lineup yesterday. Now, according to Martin Gallegos of MLB.com, the thumb issue is the real reason the A’s are preparing to shut him down.
It’s a tough development for a player who has kept rolling after his unanimous AL Rookie of the Year season. Through 92 games, Kurtz has a .902 OPS and 20 home runs, and he’s tied for fifth in the AL in wRC+. He had also been lined up to start next week’s All-Star Game after Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. declined the invitation, but that status is now in doubt.
Gelof’s move to the injured list has already been confirmed by the team. He was pulled from Thursday’s game against the Tigers after crashing into the left field wall while trying to haul in a fly ball off the bat of Zach McKinstry. The A’s responded by recalling first baseman Joey Meneses to fill his roster spot.
For Gelof, it’s another interruption just after he returned from the injured list over the weekend. He had been out for the minimum while dealing with a hand injury, and now he’ll be sidelined for at least the final series before the break and the week after that.
His brief return wasn’t especially smooth, but the bigger picture still looks good: he owns a 120 wRC+ in 67 games while moving all over the diamond. That’s a sharp turnaround after strikeout problems started to threaten his progress following a promising rookie year.
Meneses, who signed a minor league deal with the organization over the winter, is getting his second major league chance with the A’s this season. The 34-year-old is 2-for-14 in limited action. He had a couple of solid years with the Nationals, then didn’t appear in the majors last season before spending 2025 at Triple-A with the Mets.
The A’s did get shortstop Jacob Wilson and outfielder Tyler Soderstrom back in the lineup earlier this week, and Soderstrom could help at first base while Kurtz is out. Meneses is starting at first tonight.
Gelof had been spending more time in the outfield lately, which opened the door for Joshua Kuroda-Grauer to keep getting regular infield reps. Lawrence Butler now has a cleaner path to steady playing time, and Jeff McNeil, who replaced Kurtz on Wednesday, could also pick up more at-bats.
In Other News...
Angels Just Let A Productive Infielder Slip Away
The Athletics kept working the waiver wire and came away with infielder Donovan Walton, claiming him from the Angels and using an open spot on the 40-man roster to make it happen. Walton has been productive in limited work this season, hitting .319/.354/.505 in 97 plate appearances, which makes him a notable pickup for a club still trying to patch together its infield depth.
Oaklands interest makes even more sense with injuries thinning that group and creating a path for Walton to see real time right away. The Angels still moved on from him despite the recent production, and now the As get a look at whether there is more value there than the waiver market suggested. [Read more 🡒]
Marlins First Round Pick Comes With A Twist Fans Will Judge Fast
The 2026 MLB draft opened with the White Sox taking UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky at No. 1, setting the tone for a first round that moved quickly through a run of familiar names and familiar pressure. Jackson Flora went to the Giants, Jared Grindlinger landed with the Angels and Vahn Lackey joined the Twins, while the White Sox also added Landon Thome and the Marlins used their first-round spot on Jacob Lombard.
For Athletics fans, the broader draft board matters because the top of the class can shape how the rest of the round falls, especially when clubs start chasing upside and value in different ways. The Marlins first-round choice is the one that will draw the most immediate debate around the league, and it adds another layer to a draft already heavy on recognizable bloodlines, premium positions and quick judgments from fans. [Read more 🡒]
Athletics Are Running Out Of Answers During This Eight-Game Spiral
The Athletics eight-game slide has been a little bit of everything that can go wrong at once, from injuries to an offense that keeps leaving too much on the table and a pitching staff that has not been able to cover the gaps. Even in a recent outing where Gage Jump gave them a strong start, the lineup could not provide enough support to change the tone of a season that is starting to feel like it is slipping away by the series.
Henry Boltes recent struggles have only added to the frustration, because the club needs young bats to stabilize and he has not been able to do that lately. One of the few steady arms has been Luis Medina out of the bullpen, and with the All-Star break approaching, the Athletics may have to lean on him even more as they search for any workable answers in a staff that has been too inconsistent for too long. [Read more 🡒]