Athletics News

Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson (shoulder) has been scratched from Monday's starting lineup against the hosting Kansas City Royals with soreness in his left shoulder, per the team. Alika Williams will take over at the 6 for the A's and at eighth against Royals right-hander Michael Wacha. Wilson missed a game over the weekend due to swelling in his left pinkie finger, and now he is out with a shoulder ailment, continuing what has been a disappointing and injury-plagued 2026 season for the former first-rounder. It is unclear how serious his shoulder injury is or if it will require a stint on the injured list. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for now and check back on Tuesday to see if he is back on the field. Wilson is barely rostered in just over half of Yahoo leagues now and comes into Monday's action hitting .266/.298/.388 with a .685 OPS, only seven home runs, 37 RBI, 37 runs scored, and four stolen bases across his 320 at-bats. In 22 games since the All-Star break, Wilson has hit a weak .207 (18-for-87) with a .587 OPS, two homers, six doubles, nine RBI, nine runs, two stolen bases, one walk, and 10 strikeouts.

Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson (finger) is starting at the 6 and is batting third for Sunday's series finale at Sutter Health Park against the division-rival Texas Rangers and left-hander Cody Bradford, according to MLB.com. The A's held Wilson out of their game on Saturday against Texas after he developed swelling and stiffness in his left pinky finger after he was hit by a pitch on Friday. The contact-oriented Wilson has not been a picture of health in 2026, which could be a big part of the reason why he hasn't been as productive offensively in his second full season in the big leagues. The former first-rounder from Grand Canyon University enters the contest on Sunday in Sacramento with a .269/.301/.392 slash line, a .694 OPS, seven home runs, 37 RBI, 37 runs scored, and four stolen bases in 79 games across 333 plate appearances. Wilson hit over .300 in 2025 as a first-time All-Star, but he also had only 13 homers, 63 RBI, and five runs scored in 125 games. Wilson has gone hitless against Bradford in just four career at-bats.

The Athletics announced on Sunday that they placed first baseman/outfielder Tyler Soderstrom (hip) on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to Aug. 15) with a left-hip impingement and recalled infielder Darell Hernaiz from Triple-A Las Vegas in a corresponding move. The 24-year-old left-handed slugger won't be eligible to return from the IL until Aug. 25, but fantasy managers shouldn't necessarily expect him to return to the A's roster by then with the team in last place and well out of playoff contention in 2026. Soderstrom broke out at the plate in 2025 in his first full season in the big leagues, slashing .276/.346/.474 with an .820 OPS, 25 home runs, 93 RBI, 75 runs scored, and eight stolen bases in 158 games played across 624 plate appearances. He hasn't been quite as dominant in 2026, but he's still enough of a power threat in a hitter-friendly home environment to be a must-start in most fantasy baseball leagues when he's active. Soderstrom hits the shelf with a current .245/.338/.472 slash line with an .810 OPS, 19 homers, 56 RBI, and 58 runs scored in 109 games in his fourth year in the majors.

Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson (finger) is not in the starting lineup ahead of Saturday's game against the Texas Rangers. Wilson was removed early during Friday's contest after he was hit by a pitch on the hand. Wilson is still with some swelling in his finger, so the A's will take the cautious approach and hold him out of Saturday's lineup. The X-rays came back negative, so fantasy managers should consider Wilson as day-to-day. Alika Williams will draw the start at shortstop and bat ninth against left-hander MacKenzie Gore on Saturday. Fantasy managers should check back on Sunday for another update on Wilson.

Athletics relief pitcher Hogan Harris worked a scoreless ninth Friday, August 14, to finish an 8-3 win over the Texas Rangers. It wasn't a save situation, but the usage keeps him at the front of a bullpen that has bounced around much of the season. Harris has 11 saves, including back-to-back conversions in Boston on August 8 and 9, and RotoBaller currently lists him as the Athletics' closer. There are rough edges. Harris has walked 34 batters in 53 innings and carries a 1.55 WHIP, but he's also struck out 70 with a 3.57 ERA. That's enough swing-and-miss to keep him useful while he gets the bulk of the ninth-inning work. Harris is rostered in only 13% of Yahoo leagues, even though RotoBaller ranks him 23rd among closers for Week 21. He's best suited for 15-team leagues, but anyone digging for saves should know the job is leaning his way.

Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson (hand) was pulled after just one inning on Friday night against the division-rival Texas Rangers after being hit by a pitch on the hand, according to Martin Gallegos of MLB.com. Alika Williams entered as a pinch-hitter to replace Wilson at the 6. Wilson scored a run after being hit in his only plate appearance of the night in Sacramento. The A's are saying that he's dealing with a hand contusion, which suggests that tests came back negative for any broken bones in his hand. For now, fantasy managers should consider Wilson to be day-to-day and check back on Saturday to see if he's active as the series continues at Sutter Health Park. The 24-year-old former sixth overall pick from Grand Canyon University in 2023 has had an injury-plagued and frustrating second full season in the majors in 2026, as he came into Friday's tilt with a .269/.299/.392 slash line with seven homers, 37 RBI, 36 runs scored, and four steals in 78 games played. Wilson is tough to strike out, but for fantasy purposes, he doesn't do enough in the power and speed categories to make much of a difference. He's barely rostered in just over half of Yahoo leagues. UPDATE: Wilson is considered day-to-day after X-rays on his left hand came back negative. He had some swelling in his pinky.

Athletics shortstop prospect Leo De Vries is just 19 years old and has had a stellar season at Double-A Midland with 13 homers and 53 RBI while hitting .292 with 62 runs scored and 33 stolen bases. One of the top young prospects in baseball, De Vries is showing off his five-category potential at Midland this season. The top prospect for the Athletics, De Vries possesses a 60-grade hit tool with 55-grade power and 55-grade speed. In other words, De Vries has all the tools to be successful on the baseball diamond, but he might need a bit of seasoning at Triple-A before the Athletics give him a big-league debut opportunity. He is a name worth monitoring, though, because if the Athletics do give him a chance, he should be ready to produce for fantasy even as early as this season.

MLB.com's Martin Gallegos writes that "it's looking unlikely" that Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz (thumb) will return this season. Kurtz's platelet-rich plasma injection on Aug. 4 went well, but he has to be in a brace for four weeks after that. "Four weeks of no mobility. You probably can do the timeline and think through the scenarios in front of us for Nick," manager Mark Kotsay said. The 23-year-old left-handed slugger is trying to recover from a right-thumb strain, but with time running out in the season and with the A's sitting at 47-72 overall and well out of the postseason race, the probability is low that Kurtz will return in 2026. Jeff McNeil and rookie Tommy White should continue to split playing time at first base in Sacramento the rest of the way if Kurtz is unable to return. Kurtz's injury is a big blow for fantasy managers, as the former first-rounder has 57 total home runs and 155 RBI in 216 games and 923 plate appearances in his first two MLB seasons since debuting in 2025.

Across 52 innings (55 games) in 2026, Athletics left-hander Hogan Harris has recorded a 3.63 ERA and 1.58 WHIP with 70 strikeouts and 11 saves. Harris' inflated WHIP is a symptom of his command issues, as he's posted a 14.2% walk rate. However, the 29-year-old is also averaging a career-best 95.3 miles per hour on his fastball and has logged a stellar 29.3% strikeout rate. Harris appears to be re-asserting himself as the preferred ninth-inning option for the Athletics, as he's notched saves in each of his last two appearances and has recorded five saves in his last nine outings. Fantasy managers should not expect to get high-end ratio help from Harris, but he looks like a viable source of saves and strikeouts to target on the waiver wire in deeper leagues.

Athletics infielder Zack Gelof (knee) was activated off the 10-day Injured List ahead of Monday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays. Gelof is ready to play after being sidelined since July 10 due to a right knee laceration. He'll cover third base and bat ninth versus right-hander Freddy Peralta on Monday. Gelof figures to be the everyday third baseman down the stretch of the season. This season, Gelof is slashing .273/.327/.476 with 11 home runs, 29 RBI, and eight steals in 67 games. He could be an interesting deep league option given his power and speed upside.

Athletics rookie left-hander Gage Jump showed his upside on the mound in Saturday's 7-3 win over the red-hot Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, allowing only two earned runs on six hits while walking two and striking out a career-high 11 hitters in six innings for his fifth win of the year. It was Jump's fifth quality start in his first 14 major-league starts for the A's. The young southpaw has been up and down since the All-Star break, going six innings in two of his four starts and allowing 12 runs in 8 1/3 innings pitched in the other two appearances. Through his first 14 starts in the big leagues, Jump now sports a 4.46 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 84:33 K:BB in 72 2/3 innings pitched. Jump will have a middling matchup his next time out against the division-rival Texas Rangers, a team that he has yet to face so far in his first season in the majors. Jump has a decent 25.3% strikeout rate and plenty of upside in that department, but unsurprisingly, his command has been spotty with a 10.8% walk rate going into his start in Boston on Saturday.

Athletics left-handed reliever Hogan Harris is quickly losing fantasy baseball value after blowing his fifth save of the year in the team's 5-4 loss to the hosting Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday. Harris was wild at Great American Ball Park, allowing two earned runs on three walks and one strikeout in just two-thirds of an inning, and not only did he blow the save, but he took the loss, his first of 2026. The 29-year-old walked the first two hitters he faced and also threw two wild pitches. The southpaw recorded three saves for the A's in July, but he's now allowed multiple runs in two of his last three outings and could be on the way out in the A's closer picture if he continues to struggle. On the season, Harris is 3-1 with a 3.62 ERA (4.20 FIP), 1.53 WHIP, a career-high nine saves, 67 strikeouts, and 32 walks in 49 2/3 innings pitched out of the bullpen. The best thing going for Harris is that the A's don't have many better options for save situations, with Elvis Alvarado and Luis Medina being their primary setup men. Harris is currently rostered in 11% of Yahoo leagues for those desperate for saves in deep formats.

Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson (knee) is starting at shortstop and will bat second for the A's on Tuesday against the hosting Cincinnati Reds and right-hander Brady Singer, according to MLB.com. The A's held Wilson out of Sunday's series finale against the Detroit Tigers due to patellar tendinitis in his knee, but after Monday's off day, he's back in the starting nine. The 24-year-old will return to a .274/.307/.396 slash line with a .703 OPS, seven home runs, 34 RBI, 33 runs scored, and four stolen bases in his 71 games across 304 plate appearances in 2026 in his second full year in the majors. The former first-rounder from Grand Canyon University has elite bat-to-ball skills, but he lacks any real power or speed upside, which makes him less interesting in fantasy baseball. Wilson is rostered in only 55% of Yahoo leagues. He's battled injuries this year as well and played in just 20 combined games in May and June. In 20 games in July, Wilson bounced back by hitting .272 (22-for-81) with three homers, two doubles, a triple, seven RBI, nine runs scored, and two stolen bases in 85 plate appearances. Wilson is hitless in just two career at-bats against Singer.

The Athletics announced on Tuesday that they placed first baseman Nick Kurtz (thumb) on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to Aug. 1) with a right-thumb sprain and recalled infielder Max Muncy from Triple-A Las Vegas in a corresponding move. The A's decided to put Kurtz on the IL after he visited with a hand specialist on Monday following a few absences over the weekend. The elite left-handed power hitter was diagnosed with a chronic volar plate tear of his MCP joint in his thumb. Kurtz will receive a platelet-rich plasma injection on Tuesday, and there is no timetable for his return. In the two games that Kurtz missed over the weekend against the Detroit Tigers, Jeff McNeil and Jonah Heim filled in for the A's at first base. While on the IL, Kurtz, 23, must be stashed in all fantasy baseball leagues for his power upside in a hitter-friendly home park. The former fourth overall pick from Wake Forest University has hit 21 home runs with 69 RBI in 352 at-bats in 2026 after clubbing 36 homers and driving in 86 in 117 games played as a rookie in 2025.

Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson (knee) is being held out of the starting lineup during Sunday's game against the Detroit Tigers. A's manager Mark Kotsay said Wilson is out due to patellar tendonitis in his right knee. He added that this injury is manageable and he believes Wilson will be back in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Cincinnati Reds. Wilson has been struggling at the plate lately, so maybe this injury has played a part in that. Fantasy managers shouldn't be worried about a lengthy absence, as this sounds like a day-to-day issue. Alika Williams will cover shortstop and bat seventh versus right-hander Keider Montero on Sunday. Fantasy managers should check back on Tuesday for another update.

Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz (thumb) is not in the team's starting lineup for Sunday's series finale against the visiting Detroit Tigers, according to MLB.com. Jeff McNeil will make the start at first base and will hit eighth against Tigers right-hander Keider Montero in Sacramento. Kurtz played on Thursday and Friday after being hit by a pitch on Wednesday, but the 23-year-old left-handed slugger is now out on Sunday for a second straight game and is scheduled to visit with a hand specialist on Monday in Los Angeles. Manager Mark Kotsay said initial X-rays on Kurtz's hand were "kind of unclear," so the A's want more clarity moving forward. The good news is that the A's have a scheduled day off on Monday, but it seems unlikely that Kurtz will be ready to roll on Tuesday for the series opener in Cincinnati against the Reds, even if doctors like what they see in L.A. on Monday. Fantasy managers need to prepare for a potential trip to the injured list. Kurtz is an elite source of power in just his first full MLB season in 2026, but he's been banged up so far in the second half and hit just .114 (5-for-44) with a .454 OPS, two homers, five RBI, three runs scored, four walks, and 23 strikeouts in 14 games in July.

Athletics top-ranked prospect Leo De Vries stayed hot in the batter's box on Thursday evening and continues to make a strong case to be called up to Triple-A Las Vegas. On Thursday, De Vries went 2-for-5 with a home run. Since July 4, the No. 2-ranked prospect in baseball has been nothing short of dominant at Midland, carrying a .345/.426/.621 slash line with four doubles, four home runs, five stolen bases, and a 12:9 K:BB. Before this surge, De Vries struggled to produce consistently in the power department, as he held a lower .411 SLG with a modest .778 OPS over the first 70 games of the campaign. Given his current trajectory, a late-season promotion to Triple-A remains in serious play. If he were to earn the call, the budding superstar should contend for an early MLB debut in 2027.

Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz (forearm) is back at first base and is leading off on Thursday against the visiting Boston Red Sox and right-hander Sonny Gray, per MLB.com. Kurtz was pulled from Wednesday's game early in Sacramento after being hit by a pitch on his forearm, but X-rays and an MRI exam came back negative, and he won't have to miss any time. Fantasy managers in all traditional leagues will want to get the left-handed slugger back into their lineups immediately, even though he's been a bit cold at the plate lately. The 23-year-old former fourth overall pick in 2024 from Wake Forest University is hitting .260/.399/.491 on the year with an .890 OPS, 21 homers, 69 RBI, 62 runs scored, and seven stolen bases across his 346 at-bats after clubbing 36 homers and driving in 86 in just 117 games as a rookie in 2025. Kurtz offers elite power, regardless of position, but July hasn't been his best month, as he's gone 5-for-38 (.132) with a .485 OPS, two homers, five RBI, three runs, two walks, and 19 Ks in 12 games during the month. He has never faced Gray in his MLB career.

Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz (forearm) left Wednesday's contest against the Boston Red Sox after he was hit on the left forearm/hand by a pitch, according to Martin Gallegos of MLB.com. Jeff McNeil took over for Kurtz at first base to start the second inning. The A's are saying that Kurtz is dealing with a contusion, which suggests he avoided a major injury, but he'll likely undergo further testing on Thursday. Fantasy managers will want to check back on Thursday for an update on the power-hitting left-hander and to see if he's cleared to play in the series finale in Sacramento against Boston. After hitting 36 bombs and driving in 86 in just 117 games in his first year in the majors in 2025, Kurtz has followed it up with a .260/.398/.491 slash line, .889 OPS, 21 home runs, and 69 RBI in 96 games across 425 plate appearances. The power hasn't quite shown up like it did last year, but Kurtz has also missed time with an injury. He was a first-time All-Star in 2025 and is one of the best upside bats for power in the majors. Hopefully, he can avoid another stint on the injured list. UPDATE: Kurtz will undergo an MRI exam on Thursday after X-rays on his forearm "were kind of unclear," according to manager Mark Kotsay.

Athletics left-hander Hogan Harris had to battle for Tuesday night's save against the Red Sox after entering the ninth inning with a three-run lead. Harris allowed two earned runs on three hits, including a home run, but recovered to secure his ninth save while striking out three batters. His swing-and-miss ability remained on display despite the shaky outing. The 29-year-old has continued to earn more late-inning opportunities after posting a 2.61 ERA during the month of July. He now owns a 3.38 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, and 65 strikeouts across 48 innings this season. Harris' ability to generate strikeouts gives him legitimate fantasy appeal, and managers should continue to view him as a strong source of saves while he handles high-leverage opportunities.