KANSAS CITY -- The A's injury misfortune took yet another hit on Thursday as manager Mark Kotsay confirmed that Jacob Wilson is likely out for the rest of the 2026 season due to his left shoulder injury.
Wilson will be placed on the injured list prior to Friday’s series opener against the Astros at Daikin Park. The 24-year-old was already on his way to Sacramento to be examined by a doctor to determine his next steps by the end of the A's 6-2 loss to the Royals on Thursday afternoon at Kauffman Stadium.
It's another unfortunate blow to an A's club that will have 13 players on the injured list when Wilson is officially added. He had missed the previous three games due to the injury and was not in the lineup again on Thursday.
“Obviously, we’ve tried to give Jacob enough time for the shoulder to respond to get a little bit more movement and be able to do some baseball activity,” Kotsay said. “Unfortunately, this morning there was really no change in how he’s felt since Sunday. ... At this point, probably not great news in terms of Jacob’s ability to finish the season.”
On Wednesday, Kotsay said Wilson had not been swinging or throwing while receiving treatment for his shoulder, which was aggravated on Monday when Wilson couldn't get to his full range of motion while swinging. Kotsay had previously stated that Wilson's availability was strictly as a pinch-runner late in games, but by Thursday he was unavailable.
It's the same injury that Wilson had been dealing with since being placed on the injured list in May (left shoulder subluxation) after making a diving attempt for an infield single by Gunnar Henderson. At the time, it was reported that this specific injury can sometimes lead to surgery, but Wilson was able to return exactly one month after his IL placement and play through any lingering issues.
That's been harder of late, as Wilson missed the remainder of Friday's game against the Rangers and Saturday's contest after getting hit by a pitch on his left pinkie finger. Wilson was also placed on the IL at the end of June with right thumb inflammation, but he returned after the minimum 10-day stay.
“He’s definitely been playing with his shoulder [injury] since he came back off the IL,” Kotsay said. “We knew the shoulder, if he had to make another play, which he did in Boston [during Aug. 7-9], that it may come back and be an issue. For him, I’m sure it’s disappointing to not be able to continue and finish the season, so we’ll wait for the results. But at this point, he showed the grit that we needed to see to try and finish the season.”
Despite the constant physical ailments, Wilson has gone on to hit .266 with seven homers, 37 RBIs and a .686 OPS in 80 games. The 2025 All-Star hit .311 with 13 homers, 63 RBIs and a .799 OPS over 125 games in his breakout campaign a year ago.
With Wilson sidelined, he will join Brent Rooker (left knee bone bruise) Shea Langeliers (torn right meniscus), Nick Kurtz (right thumb strain), Luis Severino (right shoulder strain), Tyler Soderstrom (left hip impingement) and Denzel Clarke (left hamstring strain) among others as crucial pieces to the A's core who are currently out with injuries.
“We felt the effects for this season,” Kotsay said. “We lost our leader and captain in Rook early in June, which impacted not just on the field, but I think off the field. ... It seems to be kind of a domino effect with the rest of the group.”
That's taken a toll on an A's club (49-79) that spent 36 days alone in first place after a hot start but has stumbled to a 9-37 mark over the past 46 games since June 27.
The A's have turned to Darell Hernaiz (two starts), Alika Williams and Donovan Walton at shortstop in the four games during Wilson's absence.
“Alika Williams has got a ton of opportunities, Darell Hernaiz is here now and getting some opportunities. Max Muncy is back with us, so those are three guys, because of Jacob’s issue, that are going to see more playing time,” Kotsay said. “We have to bring someone now that will help as well. So a lot of opportunity here with the amount of guys either on the IL or done for the season, which I think at this point if Jacob is, will be five of the nine in the starting Opening Day lineup.”