SAN FRANCISCO -- The Athletics are going to be without Zack Gelof longer than they originally hoped.
After he exited Tuesday night’s game against the Giants immediately after getting his right hand stepped on by Matt Chapman, the A’s were optimistic about Gelof’s long-term outlook after X-rays that night came back negative for a fracture. Before Thursday’s series finale at Oracle Park, however, Gelof was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right hand contusion.
The A’s wanted to wait 48 hours to see how Gelof’s hand would progress before making a decision. While the swelling on the infielder’s hand had subsided a decent amount as of Thursday morning, Gelof was still in a good amount of pain when trying to grip a ball or bat, leading to his IL placement, which is retroactive to June 24.
Gelof was arguably the hottest hitter in baseball at the time of his injury. His 24-game hitting streak entering Tuesday’s game was tied for the longest streak in the Majors over the last two years, and goes down as the sixth-longest in A’s history. During that stretch, he was batting .351 (33-for-94) with five home runs, seven doubles and 12 RBIs, while also providing stellar defensive play at both second and third base.
The A’s are also still awaiting the long-term status of All-Star shortstop Jacob Wilson, who was removed for a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning of Wednesday night’s loss after experiencing discomfort in the same left shoulder he dislocated earlier this season after landing awkwardly while trying to evade a tag at home plate earlier in the game. He was held out of Thursday’s starting lineup as he underwent further evaluations with the A’s medical staff.
For now, the A’s are hopeful that Gelof’s IL stint will be short. In the meantime, Alika Williams rejoined the club from Triple-A Las Vegas and was the starting shortstop for Thursday’s game.
The A’s were highly impressed with Williams’ defense at both shortstop and second during his first stint with the big league club before getting optioned on June 21. He also more than held his own at the plate, hitting .289 (13-for-45) with a homer, five doubles and five RBIs in 23 games.
“We value what Alika does,” manager Mark Kotsay said on Tuesday while discussing the decision to option him to the Minors. “You saw that in the way we managed him and let him play and start some games. He’s going to be a valuable piece for us. … If there’s ever an injury on the infield, we know that we value him and he’s definitely in the conversation to be a guy in that mix.”
Should Wilson also require an IL stint, the A’s have a few infielders they could call upon at Triple-A Las Vegas, such as top prospects Joshua Kuroda-Grauer (A’s No. 10 prospect) and Tommy White (No. 9), as well as Darell Hernaiz.