DETROIT -- Just when it looked like the Athletics were finally back to full strength on offense, they suffered another potential huge blow on the injury front.
On a day that began with slugger Tyler Soderstrom getting activated from the injured list, marking the third key player returning to the A’s from injury over the past week, Nick Kurtz was replaced on defense early in Wednesday’s game against the Tigers at Comerica Park.
Though Kurtz appeared to jam his right hand in the first inning as he collided with Dillon Dingler near first base while attempting to field an errant throw from third baseman Zack Gelof and was checked out by an A’s trainer, the club announced his exit to begin the bottom of the second due to an illness. Kurtz is the second A’s player lost to illness in as many days, as starter J.T. Ginn was also removed from Tuesday night’s loss after just four innings due to feeling sick early in the game.
Whatever the case, losing Kurtz for any amount of time would be another difficult hit for the A’s. The reigning American League Rookie of the Year was recently named an All-Star for the first time in his career and later announced as the starter for the AL side after Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero declared that he would not participate in this year’s Midsummer Classic.
Even as Kurtz has been mired in a slump, entering Wednesday just 8-for-50 (.160) over his previous 13 games, the slugging first baseman is, hands down, irreplaceable as the best player on this team and one of the biggest power threats in all of baseball.
Kurtz was replaced by Jeff McNeil, primarily a second baseman, at first base on Wednesday. Should he have to miss any extended time, the A’s would likely reach down to Triple-A Las Vegas, where veteran Joey Meneses and No. 8 prospect Tommy White are both true first base options who are swinging it well.