The A's made a series of roster moves on Sunday, designating Scott Barlow for assignment and optioning Alika Williams. They also called up Joey Meneses and left-hander Matt Krook, while placing Luis Severino on the 60-day IL
After Saturday night's 7-0 loss to the Angels, it was reported that the A's were bringing up hot-hitting Joey Meneses from Triple-A Las Vegas. There were also rumblings that left-hander Matt Krook would be on that same flight to West Sacramento. Both of those move are now official.
To make room on the roster, the A's optioned infielder Alika Williams to Triple-A, transferred Luis Severino to the 60-day IL, and designated Scott Barlow for assignment.
Barlow had been having a rough month of June, holding a 19.29 ERA across just seven innings of work. In his last four appearances he'd allowed 10 runs in a combined 2 2/3 innings.
Matt Krook holds a 3.74 ERA this season across 29 innings, but it's his 2.25 ERA at home that really stands out, especially after the A's series at Las Vegas Ballpark. He's seemed to figure out some sort of a trick, though he said it's the same as anywhere else.
"Just filling it up and trying to keep the ball on the ground," Krook said before Sunday's game. "Controlling the launch angle and stuff. I think it's the same as anywhere else. Just trying to throw strikes and be competitive."
Meneses comes to the A's on a tear, hitting .348 on the season with a .401 OBP, 11 home runs and 20 doubles in 69 games.
He said before the game that during the offseason, his agent reached out and said that the A's were interested, but with Nick Kurtz at first base it could be a little tricky to make the opening day roster.
"[My agent] told me, 'I think you're going to start in Triple-A, but we want you to go to a different league. Before that, I was in the International League for Triple-A all the time."
He said his agent wanted to see him in the Pacific Coast League to see if it would help them. That decision seems to have paid off, because Meneses is back in the big leagues.
Back in 2022, Meneses was called up to the Nationals and went on an incredible run, batting .324 with a .367 OBP and 13 home runs in a 56-game sample. One of those games happened to be the debut of Ken Waldichuk at Nationals Park, and it ended with a Meneses walk-off homer.
"It was really fun — for me," he said of that day, smiling inside the A's clubhouse. "I remember I was having a good game and I was focused on my last at-bat, and I hit the ball far. It was crazy. I really enjoyed it."
