WEST SACRAMENTO – We have reached the final quarter of the regular season, and few Athletics players could benefit more from a strong final stretch than Zack Gelof.
Reinstated from the injured list before Monday’s 10-6 loss to the Rays at Sutter Health Park, Gelof returned looking to complete what has been a resurgent 2026 campaign following a down ‘24 and injury-riddled ‘25. To clear a spot for Gelof on the active roster, infielder Jonathan Ornelas was designated for assignment.
Gelof wasted no time reintroducing himself. Facing Rays starter Freddy Peralta in the fifth inning, Gelof launched a towering solo home run well beyond the wall in left-center field a Statcast-projected 456 feet, his 12th of the season, marking the longest homer of his career.
“That was probably the farthest ball I’ve hit,” Gelof said. “It felt really good, especially being the first one coming back.”
Shortly before he was placed on the 10-day IL on July 10 with a right knee laceration, Gelof was arguably the hottest hitter in baseball. His 24-game hitting streak entering a June 23 contest against the Giants matched the longest single-season streak in the Majors over the last two years and was the sixth longest in A’s history. That hot stretch came to an unfortunate screeching halt that night in San Francisco, when Gelof’s right hand was stepped on by Matt Chapman shortly after the second baseman tagged Chapman for the second out of the second inning.
That play led to Gelof landing on the 10-day IL June 24 with a right hand contusion, the first of a couple of “freak” injuries he’s had to deal with this year. His most recent IL placement was the result of his right knee crashing into the fenced portion of the side wall down the left-field line during a game against the Tigers at Comerica Park.
When healthy, Gelof has emerged as a valuable utility man this season by providing strong defense in his multiple games at second base, third base and all three outfield spots. Gelof was back in the lineup Monday playing third base, though manager Mark Kotsay indicated that the team would like to nail down a more singular position by the end of the season.
"With Tommy White on the roster and [Max] Muncy here and some other younger guys that we’re trying to get a look at, Zack has the opportunity to play all over,” Kotsay said. “That being said, in the next couple of weeks, we kind of want to define a role for him. Whether that’s feasible or not, we’ll see. … I wouldn’t say there’s one position he’s going to see a majority of the time in the short term. But we feel good about him being in the lineup.”
Entering Monday slashing .273/.327/.476 with 11 home runs, 11 doubles and 29 RBIs through 67 games in the Majors, Gelof’s return is also something the A’s hope can bring a spark to an offense that entered Monday batting .215 with 52 runs scored (3.25 runs per game) over its last 16 contests.
For Gelof, a strong finish could potentially cement what has looked like a reemergence for him as a key player of this young A’s core.
"The next six-plus weeks are important for everyone on the current roster going into the offseason,” Kotsay said. “For Zack, obviously finishing off a year where he’s made a lot of positive strides offensively would be great. He’s going to get every opportunity to go out and perform to finish the year.”
Gelof’s first opportunity back after four rehab games with Triple-A Las Vegas was a strong one. In addition to his homer, he also smashed a booming double that nearly cleared the wall in center for an RBI double in the seventh that was smoked 101.2 mph off the bat.
His 2-for-4 night kept another impressive streak of Gelof's intact, extending his home hitting streak to 22 games. That remains the second longest by an A's player in the Expansion Era (since 1961), trailing only Carney Lansford (30 games, July 20-Sept. 19, 1984).
“I feel like my process stayed the same throughout,” Gelof said. “So, just leaning on that when I can. … I’m just trying to be a spark and do anything I can to bring energy every day.”