RADIO
Jeff McNeil an Everyday Option with Positional Versatility
Athletics infielder Jeff McNeil has delivered an uptick in production lately, making him an intriguing player to target on the waiver wire in deeper fantasy baseball leagues. Since the start of August, he's 38-for-112 (.339) with four homers, seven doubles, 19 RBI, four walks, 12 strikeouts, and five steals. Those numbers are substantially better than his season-long statistics, although his "back of the baseball card" numbers aren't necessarily concerning. This year, he owns a .271/.321/.378 slash line with eight homers, eight steals, 52 RBI, a 6.0% walk rate, an 11.3% strikeout rate, and 89 wRC+. Since the start of August, his slash line and home run total have increased while his strikeout rate has remained relatively constant. Because of his recent improvements at the plate, McNeil is an intriguing fantasy baseball waiver wire target in deeper leagues. He has played mostly first base and second base for the A's, but he also has fantasy eligibility in all three outfield spots. The 34-year-old is currently available to be picked up in 80% of leagues.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
J.T. Ginn May Not Pitch Again This Season
Athletics right-hander J.T. Ginn (soreness) has made minimal progress and will be evaluated by the team orthopedist on Saturday, according to Martin Gallegos of MLB.com. There is a chance that Ginn will not pitch again this season. The A's reported that Ginn had been pushed back from his most recent scheduled appearance due to undisclosed soreness. It is unclear exactly what Ginn is dealing with, but with the A's playoff hopes already out the window, they have no incentive to rush him back to the starting rotation if he is not 100 percent healthy. He is not on the injured list, but it sounds like that could be coming if the A's shut him down for the year. The 27-year-old former second-rounder by the New York Mets in 2020 from Mississippi State University has gone 9-8 this year with a 3.71 ERA (4.38 FIP) and 1.24 WHIP with a career-high 121 strikeouts and 57 walks in 138 1/3 innings and 27 appearances (24 starts) in his third year in the majors. Ginn's low 22.4% strikeout rate in his three-year career gives him limited fantasy upside, and he is rostered in only 27% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: MLB.com - Martin Gallegos
Source: MLB.com - Martin Gallegos
Henry Bolte Carries Five-Category Upside on the Waiver Wire
Since making his MLB debut in mid-May, Athletics outfielder Henry Bolte has hit the ground running. Across 376 plate appearances this year, the 23-year-old is hitting .274/.350/.389 with eight home runs, 30 RBI, 41 runs scored, and 15 stolen bases. Swing-and-miss is a potential red flag in his profile, as he's struck out in 27.4% of his plate appearances. However, Bolte hits the ball hard (47.2% hard-hit rate) and on the ground a ton (62.4%). When combined with his elite speed, Bolte's mix has allowed him to consistently run high batting averages on balls in play throughout his time in the A's system. After posting a .407 BABIP across 488 minor league plate appearances in 2025, Bolte's BABIP in the big leagues this year is .372. If he can continue to improve his strikeout rate while also raising his launch angle just a bit, Bolte has five-category breakout potential. In leagues where he remains available, Bolte should be a priority waiver wire target for fantasy managers.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Zack Gelof Emerging as a Must-Add Waiver-Wire Target
Across 343 plate appearances in 2026, Athletics infielder/outfielder Zack Gelof is hitting .256/.324/.453 with 15 home runs, 39 RBI, 57 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases. The 26-year-old has had his season disrupted by two separate stints on the injured list due to hand and knee injuries. However, when healthy, Gelof has been highly productive. After posting a 45.5% strikeout rate across 101 plate appearances in 2025, Gelof has lowered his strikeout rate to a much more manageable 25.4% in 2026. He's also shown the ability to play second base, third base, and all three outfield spots, which helps keep him in the A's lineup every day and provides valuable multi-positional eligibility for fantasy managers. Gelof's barrel and hard-hit rates have come down a bit this year as he focuses on making more contact, but his hitter-friendly home environment in Sacramento helps prop up his power numbers. In any league where he's not already rostered, Gelof should be a priority waiver wire target for fantasy managers.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Devin Taylor Being Promoted to Triple-A
Athletics outfielder Devin Taylor is being promoted from Double-A Midland to Triple-A Las Vegas, per Martin Gallegos of MLB.com. A second-round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, Taylor opened the 2026 season at High-A and logged an .851 OPS across 254 plate appearances. He's continued to hit following his promotion to Double-A in early June, hitting .323/.409/.534 with 14 home runs, 54 RBI, 52 runs scored, and six stolen bases across 325 plate appearances at the level. Swing-and-miss is an issue for the 22-year-old, as he posted a 28.6% strikeout rate at Double-A. However, he also walked in 12.6% of his plate appearances and carries high-end power potential. With less than a month to go before the end of the regular season, Taylor seems unlikely to factor at the big league level in 2026. Still, he could be in the mix for a role with the Athletics in 2027 if he closes this year strong at Triple-A.
Source: MLB.com - Martin Gallegos
Source: MLB.com - Martin Gallegos
Athletics Promoting Jamie Arnold to Triple-A
Athletics pitching prospect Jamie Arnold is being promoted from Double-A Midland to Triple-A Las Vegas, per Martin Gallegos of MLB.com. A 22-year-old left-hander who was the 11th overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, Arnold is considered one of the top prospects in the A's system. Across 113 1/3 innings (23 starts) at Double-A this season, he's recorded a 6-5 record with a 3.57 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, and 125 strikeouts. Arnold is known for having an excellent slider and has struck out 25.1% of the batters he's faced so far this season. The Athletics could potentially bring Arnold up for a start or two at the end of the year if he pitches well at Triple-A, but more likely he will be in the mix for a spot in the team's big-league rotation entering 2027.
Source: MLB.com - Martin Gallegos
Source: MLB.com - Martin Gallegos
Jacob Wilson to Undergo Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery
Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson (shoulder) is scheduled to undergo season-ending left-shoulder surgery on Sept. 16, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports. Wilson was placed on the Injured List last Friday due to shoulder soreness. It was revealed that the soreness was related to a shoulder separation he suffered earlier in the season. Wilson has elected to undergo surgery and get healthy for the 2027 season. It's a lost season for the A's anyway, so they might as well get Wilson back to full health. Across 80 games, Wilson slashed .266/.298/.388 with seven home runs, 37 RBI, and four steals. Alika Williams will likely see a majority of the playing time at shortstop down the stretch of the regular season.
Source: Martin Gallegos
Source: Martin Gallegos
Jacob Lopez an Intriguing Streaming Option for Friday
Athletics starting pitcher Jacob Lopez has been extremely sharp on the mound over the last month or so. Since July 10, Lopez has a 2.23 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, and a 48:13 K:BB ratio across eight starts. During that span, Lopez has allowed two earned runs or fewer in every start. Lopez was strong during his last outing with nine strikeouts against the Houston Astros on August 22. He'll take the mound versus the Baltimore Orioles in hitter-friendly Sacramento on Friday. It's not an ideal matchup for Lopez, but he has been pitching too well on the mound to be ignored right now.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Lawrence Butler an Intriguing Waiver-Wire Target
Across 414 plate appearances in 2026, Athletics outfielder Lawrence Butler is hitting .227/.320/.365 with 11 home runs, 40 RBI, 51 runs scored, and nine stolen bases. While the 26-year-old's season-long numbers don't jump off the page, Butler's current hot streak should have him back on the radar of fantasy managers. Across 95 plate appearances in August, Butler is hitting .294 with five home runs, 12 RBI, 13 runs scored, and three stolen bases. Butler has shown an ability to be an above-average power/speed threat in the past, logging 43 home runs and 40 stolen bases across his first two full big-league seasons in 2024 and 2025. He's also made some slight improvements in his plate approach in 2026, upping his walk rate to a career-best 11.8% and lowering his strikeout rate to a more manageable 25.6%. Between his second-half resurgence and his hitter-friendly home environment in Sacramento, Butler profiles as a potential difference-maker to target on the waiver wire.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Henry Bolte a High-End Speed Source to Target on the Waiver Wire
Across 341 plate appearances since making his MLB debut in mid-May, Athletics outfielder Henry Bolte is hitting .276/.351/.379 with six home runs, 26 RBI, 37 runs scored, and 14 stolen bases. The 23-year-old has established himself as the A's everyday center fielder and has now batted in the leadoff spot in his team's lineup in 10 out of his last 11 games. Bolte's elevated 27.6% strikeout rate is a potential red flag in his profile. However, he's logged a stellar 47.4% hard-hit rate and has logged a 63.3% ground ball rate. His tendency to hit the ball on the ground limits his power upside, but when combined with his speed, it should allow him to continue producing an elite batting average on balls in play. Bolte's BABIP across 488 minor league plate appearances in 2025 was .407, and he's logged a .379 BABIP in the big leagues in 2026. For fantasy managers in need of speed, runs scored, and some batting average, Bolte offers clear waiver wire appeal.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Hogan Harris a Quality Deep-League Saves Source to Target
Across 56 2/3 innings (60 games) this season, Athletics left-hander Hogan Harris has recorded a 3.65 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 75 strikeouts, and 13 saves. The 29-year-old's elevated WHIP is largely due to his 13.5% walk rate. However, Harris mitigates the damage of his free passes to some extent with his stellar 29.0% strikeout rate. Most importantly for fantasy managers, Harris appears to have established himself as the A's preferred ninth-inning option at this point in the season. Four of his 13 saves have come in August, and he's pitched in the ninth inning in six out of his last seven appearances. While fantasy managers should be prepared to absorb some ratio damage, Harris profiles as a quality source of both strikeouts and saves to target on the waiver wire in deeper league formats.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Shea Langeliers Begins Hitting and Throwing Progression
Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers (knee) has begun both hitting and throwing progressions, per Martin Gallegos of MLB.com. Langeliers has been on the injured list since late July after undergoing surgery to repair the meniscus in his right knee. However, the 28-year-old appears to be tracking toward returning before the end of the regular season. Across 416 plate appearances before the injury, Langeliers hit .263/.332/.497 with 23 home runs, 51 RBI, 55 runs scored, and two stolen bases. With a 14.9% barrel rate and a 45.6% hard-hit rate, Langeliers profiles as one of the top power-hitting catchers in all of baseball. The A's are completely out of playoff contention, which could lead the team to be relatively cautious with their star backstop. Still, Langeliers is a must-start fantasy catcher as soon as he returns to the big leagues.
Source: MLB.com - Martin Gallegos
Source: MLB.com - Martin Gallegos
Leo De Vries to Miss Four Weeks With Shoulder Injury
Athletics infield prospect Leo De Vries (shoulder) is dealing with a sore right shoulder and is currently rehabbing in Arizona, according to Martin Gallegos of MLB.com. He is sidelined from throwing for four weeks and is on the seven-day injured list at Double-A Midland. It means that the No. 2 overall prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline, will not play again this season. The 19-year-old Dominican switch-hitter spent his entire 2026 season at Midland, where he slashed .290/.378/.458 with an .836 OPS, 13 home runs, 55 RBI, 34 stolen bases, and 63 runs scored across 93 games and 428 plate appearances. If he is ready later this year, De Vries is an obvious candidate to play in the Arizona Fall League as he continues his development. The 6-foot, 183-pounder should already be stashed in all dynasty/keeper leagues, and he should be popular in redraft leagues to begin the 2027 campaign if he has a realistic chance to earn an Opening Day roster spot out of spring training. De Vries already has an advanced approach at the plate for his age and has high-end power/speed abilities at the premium shortstop position.
Source: MLB.com - Martin Gallegos
Source: MLB.com - Martin Gallegos
Elvis Alvarado a Saves Option in Deeper Leagues
Athletics right-handed reliever Elvis Alvarado was called upon to close things out in Saturday's game against the division-rival Houston Astros, and he was able to get the job done to earn his third save of the season. Alvarado struck out two in a clean ninth inning, while Hogan Harris worked a scoreless eighth inning for a hold. The next day, Harris was called upon in the ninth and recorded his team-leading 13th save of the year against the Astros. On the year, Alvarado is 4-3 with a 4.29 ERA (4.63 FIP) and 1.19 WHIP with 51 strikeouts and 19 walks in 42 relief innings in his second year in the big leagues with the A's. The Athletics have mostly used Harris to close out ballgames this year, but they are not exactly settled on one guy for the ninth inning, so Alvarado could see more save opportunities down the stretch in a lost season for the team. Alvarado should only be pursued off the waiver wire in the deepest of fantasy leagues by managers who are desperate for saves. He's currently rostered in only 1% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Jacob Wilson Likely Done for the Season
According to Martin Gallegos, Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson (shoulder) is expected to be placed on the 10-day Injured List and is unlikely to play again this season. Wilson is missing his fourth straight game on Thursday while he continues to deal with a lingering shoulder injury. Given the A's place in the standings, Wilson is expected to be shut down so he can recover and get ready for next season. There's a chance that Wilson needs offseason surgery, but that shouldn't impact his status for the 2027 season. Alika Williams and Darrel Hernaiz figure to see a majority of the time at shortstop while Wilson is down. Fantasy managers in redraft formats can go ahead and replace Wilson.
Source: Martin Gallegos
Source: Martin Gallegos
