The Athletics used Jacob Wilson’s injury opening to add a live arm to their pitching mix, claiming right-hander Chris Roycroft off waivers from the Rays.
To make room on the 40-man roster, Oakland transferred Wilson to the 60-day injured list. Wilson had already been reported as unlikely to return from his left shoulder issues, and this move formally closes the book on his 2026 season.
Roycroft, 29, arrives with 79 2/3 major league innings across three big league seasons. The results haven’t looked pretty at first glance, with a 6.44 ERA, but there are some signs the numbers may have been a little harsh on him. He’s allowed a .323 batting average on balls in play and has stranded 63.4% of runners, both on the rough side, while his 5.28 FIP and 4.44 SIERA paint a somewhat better picture.
His repertoire is built around velocity and ground balls. Roycroft’s four-seamer and sinker both sit in the mid-90s, and he leans heavily on the sinker, throwing it more than half the time.
He also mixes in a cutter and a sweeper. That approach has helped him generate grounders on 52.5% of balls in play, even though his 17.3% strikeout rate and 10.8% walk rate are both below par.
Roycroft began his career with the Cardinals, who designated him for assignment in June. St. Louis then traded him to Tampa Bay for a player to be named later or cash, but his stay with the Rays was short-lived before they, too, designated him for assignment in recent days.
The A’s can decide how to use him from here, since he’s still optionable. He could join the major league bullpen right away or head to Triple-A. Either way, Oakland is clearly looking for help wherever it can find it, with its staff sitting on a 5.52 ERA, second-worst in baseball behind only the Rockies.
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