Clarke out until after All-Star break as rehab stalled by hamstring injury

ANAHEIM -- Denzel Clarke is going to be out longer than the Athletics originally anticipated.

Sent to the Minor Leagues to begin a rehab assignment over the weekend, Clarke -- who was working his way back from a deep bone bruise in his right foot that landed him on the 10-day injured list on April 21 -- sustained a hamstring injury on Tuesday night while playing for Triple-A Las Vegas. An MRI on Wednesday revealed a “high-grade” strain of his left hamstring, leading the A’s to pull him from the rehab assignment.

Clarke will now return to Sacramento to rehab under the club’s supervision. He will be held out of baseball activity for some time, and the A’s will reassess a potential timeline after the All-Star break.

Clarke was off to a rough start offensively, but his defense remained elite. At the time of his IL placement, he ranked among the game’s top defenders, with his two Outs Above Average tied for third most among Major League center fielders.

Not having Clarke’s stellar glove in center is a blow, but his extended absence will allow the A’s more time to get a look at exciting No. 5 prospect Henry Bolte, who entered Thursday night’s game against the Angels batting .269 (7-for-26) through his first seven Major League games.

Going forward, Bolte and Lawrence Butler are expected to get the majority of reps in center field based on matchups.

“Any time you lose a potential Gold Glove-type outfielder, you’re going to feel the impact a little bit,” manager Mark Kotsay said. “What I’ve been impressed with is, both guys, Lawrence and Henry, have done a nice job stepping in and really playing a solid center field. Since Denzel’s been out, I don’t think there has been a huge drop-off in our play out there, which says a lot about those two guys.”