oshua Kuroda-Grauer gets his MLB debut as the A's navigate a crowded IL heading into a series against the Dodgers
The A's placed both shortstop Jacob Wilson and left fielder Tyler Soderstrom on the injured list ahead of Monday's opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The team also placed left-hander Jose Suarez on the paternity list. Taking those spots on the 26-man roster will be No. 9 prospect Joshua Kuroda-Grauer, Darell Hernaiz and Kade Morris.
Michael Kelly, who recently landed on the minor-league IL, has been designated for assignment to clear space for Kuroda-Grauer on the 40-man roster.
We should know more about Wilson and Soderstrom's injuries after manager Mark Kotsay's media session this afternoon, but for now, the A's are saying that Wilson is not hitting at this time due to inflammation in his right hand, while Soderstrom is not undergoing any baseball activities at this time.
The official injury for Wilson is right thumb inflammation, while Soderstrom is not undergoing any baseball activities at this time.
Zack Gelof, who is already on the IL, is continuing to rehab and has started gripping activities after Matt Chapman stepped on his hand in San Francisco.
A's New Additions
The big new addition that everyone will be keeping an eye on is JKG, the A's third-round pick back in 2024 out of Rutgers. He started the year in Double-A, appearing in 33 games in the Texas League and batting .285 with a .313 OBP, six home runs and 11 stolen bases.
He was promoted to Triple-A Las Vegas on May 12, and across 42 games he hit .352 with a .405 OBP, one home run and another four stolen bases. He's a high BABIP guy, running a .332 across all three minor league seasons, but he's also been fairly consistent with where that BABIP ends up each year.
The one potential red flag here is that he had a .285 BABIP in Double-A this season, and it increased to .370 with the Aviators. His numbers have been much better at the higher level, but the ballpark and a little bit of luck seemed to have played a factor. The question is how much of a factor.
Kuroda-Grauer has earned a decent amount of time between second base, shortstop and third base this season, so he'll be able to slide around wherever he's needed.
With both Gelof and Wilson on the IL, we'll likely see a steady dose of Hernaiz and Alika Williams at shortstop, while Max Muncy remains at third base. JKG could end up getting playing time at second base when the A's face a left-hander. Those are typically spots where veteran Jeff McNeil has sat anyway, which would create an easy place to slide in the rookie.
Monday's starter, Eric Lauer, is a left-hander, and JKG is in the lineup at second base, batting ninth.
As for left field, we'll likely see Colby Thomas over there against left-handers and Carlos Cortes against righties. Hernaiz has also had some outfield reps this season, if the A's want to go with Muncy at short, JKG at third and McNeil at second. Henry Bolte and Lawrence Butler figure to play every day until the roster is healthier.
As for Morris, he's likely the long-man right now. He was optioned back to Las Vegas due to the club needing a fresh arm, though they wanted to give him another shot after a tough start in his debut against the Houston Astros. This will be that second shot.
Worth noting: Hernaiz was the last position player in the minor leagues that was on the 40-man roster, so if another player goes down, the A's will have to shuffle the roster once again.
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