The Athletics are running out of room for patience, and their matchup with the Minnesota Twins puts the spotlight squarely on a few players who have to answer the call.
It has been 40 days since the Athletics last took a three-game series, and that came against the Colorado Rockies, a club described here as one of the worst in baseball. That stretch has knocked the season off course, and any chance at changing the direction now has to start immediately.
Tommy White has given the A’s a jolt since his call-up. Over his last five games, he’s hit .368 with an .850 OPS, and that kind of production makes him look like a real long-term option in the infield.
The problem is that the roster is only going to get more crowded when other players return, so White has to keep stacking quality at-bats to stay in the picture. The bar is clear: stay above a .350 average and keep the OPS steady, and the Athletics can count on him for much-needed offense as they try to make up ground on the pitching side of the ledger.
Henry Bolte is in a different spot. For much of the season, he has looked like one of the brighter young pieces on this roster, but the last month has been rough.
In his last 22 games, spanning 30 days, Bolte is hitting just .171 with a .469 OPS. Even so, he has still driven in seven runs and scored seven of his own.
The slump, paired with defensive issues that have become hard to overlook, makes this a pivotal series for him. Against Minnesota, the Athletics need Bolte getting on base and using that 100th percentile speed to create runs.
The biggest pressure may be on the pitching side, where the Athletics are still settling in after the Aaron Civale trade and the loss of J.T. Ginn.
That leaves Jacob Lopez, Jack Perkins, and especially Jeffrey Springs with more on their plates. Springs offered a much-needed positive in his last outing against the Diamondbacks, working 5.0 innings, allowing six hits and two runs.
Given what his season has looked like overall, that kind of start stands out. If he can build on it, the Athletics might finally have something stable to lean on down the stretch.
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Padres Already Look Stuck With The Mason Miller Gamble
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The Padres are still trying to build a roster that can chase a title this season, yet the farm system has thinned out enough that each big swing feels harder to absorb. With the club already carrying the weight of past all-in moves, the Miller gamble is looking less like a one-off and more like another reminder that Prellers boldest trades can solve one problem while making the next one even tougher. [Read more 🡒]