WEST SACRAMENTO -- After an eventful couple of weeks, it understandably takes a lot to leave an impression on the Athletics’ Zack Gelof.
Asked about his rare, hard-to-replicate catch during Saturday’s 7-2 loss to the Marlins at Sutter Health Park, Gelof still needed a bit of a reminder.
“Oh, yeah,” the A’s utility player said. “I forgot about that. That was crazy.”
In just the second inning of his first Major League appearance in left field, Gelof was on the receiving end of a unique assist from A’s shortstop Alika Williams. It wasn’t an intentional one, though: Williams failed to flag down a popup in shallow left, and the ball kicked off his glove -- directly to Gelof, who instinctively made the catch.
“I wonder if I get, like, an OAA for that,” Gelof said. “We’ll see. That was a crazy play. I’ve never seen anything like that. It went right to me.”
As it turned out, it wasn’t the only ball that went right to him -- or rather, right at him. In the bottom of the third, an 0-2 changeup slipped out of the hand of Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara and caught Gelof in the back. He dropped to both knees, then into a prone position on the dirt.
It had happened again.
This time, Gelof was thankfully fine after his latest unfortunate run-in with the baseball gods. Saturday marked his first game back from the 10-day injured list, where he landed with a right hand contusion after being stepped on by the Giants’ Matt Chapman on June 23. Four days before that, he was hit in the head by a pitch and missed the A’s next game.
“It’s just kind of funny at this point,” Gelof said. “I think it’s just part of baseball. It’s just kind of happened to happen a few [times] here in the last four games. You can’t help but laugh at it, especially when I feel healthy after it happens.”
A fully able Gelof is certainly a good thing for the A’s, and he proved that in a promising return to the lineup after his minimum 10-day IL stint. In his first at-bat against Alcantara, he lined a 1-1 fastball the other way at 102.3 mph. Marlins right fielder Owen Caissie misjudged the ball, then dropped it, and Gelof wound up with a double.
“First at-bat of the game, with not seeing live pitching in 10 days, to take that type at-bat and drive the ball to right field just shows the kid’s work ethic, desire and confidence,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said.
In addition to all those attributes, Gelof has another one the A’s have coveted: versatility.
After playing exclusively second base in his first three MLB seasons, Gelof has played primarily third in 2026 while also seeing time in center and right field. With Tyler Soderstrom (left hip soreness) on the injured list, Gelof got his first big league opportunity in left field. He’d played the position just twice in the Minor Leagues, both earlier this year with Triple-A Las Vegas.
“It was cool, for sure,” Gelof said. “Anything I can do to take pride in my athleticism and do whatever Kots needs me to do, I take pride in that. It’s just all about communication, getting good reads, trusting my coaches and just going out and doing it.”
As baseball so often goes, he didn’t have to wait long for the baseball to find him. Gelof was immediately tested in left field when the Marlins’ Otto Lopez lined a ball his way with two on and nobody out in the first inning. He got a good jump (+2.3 feet above average) and closed on the ball well, making the grab on a play with an 85 percent catch probability -- typically a relatively easy chance, but not so much in Gelof’s debut at a new position.
His next opportunity in left field was a lot less routine. Gelof was glad to be in the area when Williams couldn’t corral Jakob Marsee’s sky-high popup, snagging the deflection for an unusual 6-7 putout.
“Pretty impressive play,” Kotsay said. “That just goes to show the athleticism and the focus, the concentration that Zack had to have on that play, the awareness to be there, be in the right position and make an exceptional play.”
Brand-new position. Brand-new play. Same Zack Gelof.
“Zack looks comfortable everywhere,” Kotsay said. “It’s pretty remarkable how gifted he is, how good of an athlete he is, and it’s great to have him back.”