RADIO
Zack Gelof Injures his Right Hand on Tuesday Night
Athletics infielder/outfielder Zack Gelof (hand) was removed from Tuesday night's game early against the San Francisco Giants after third baseman Matt Chapman stepped on his right hand at second base in the second inning, according to MLB.com's Martin Gallegos. Gelof was removed immediately and finished the contest 0-for-1 at the plate as the A's leadoff hitter, bringing a tough end to his impressive 24-game hitting streak. Veteran Jeff McNeil replaced Gelof at the keystone at Oracle Park in San Francisco. It would obviously be terrible timing for Gelof to need to miss extended time with an injury if his hand ailment proves to be serious. The 26-year-old former second-round pick in 2021 out of the University of Virginia has been a popular waiver-wire pickup in recent weeks, given his hot streak at the plate. Gelof's 24-game hitting streak boosted his 2026 season slash line to .284/.338/.500 with an .838 OPS, 11 home runs, 29 RBI, 40 runs, and eight stolen bases going into Tuesday's contest against the Gigantes. McNeil would see more time at the keystone in Sacramento if Gelof misses additional time. UPDATE: Manager Mark Kotsay said after Tuesday's game that Gelof avoided a fractured hand and won't require stitches.
Source: MLB.com - Martin Gallegos
Source: MLB.com - Martin Gallegos
Henry Bolte Profiles as a Must-Add Outfielder Ahead of Potential Breakout
Athletics outfielder Henry Bolte opened the 2026 season at Triple-A and dominated, hitting .348 with 12 home runs and 17 stolen bases across 177 plate appearances. The 22-year-old's strong performance earned him a promotion to the big leagues in mid-May. Bolte has maintained his impressive production since being called up, hitting .315/.400/.414 with two home runs, 10 RBI, 11 runs scored, and eight stolen bases across 130 plate appearances in the big leagues. Bolte's elevated 28.5% strikeout rate is a bit of a concern, and his 5.3% barrel rate does not suggest high-end power upside. However, Bolte's elite speed and his 50% hard-hit rate should allow him to continue to run a high batting average on balls in play. If he can ever learn to elevate the ball a bit more (63.2% ground ball rate), Bolte's power could take off as well. In leagues where he's not already rostered, Bolte profiles as a must-add outfielder ahead of a potential breakout season.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Zack Gelof Sits Out on Saturday After Being Hit by a Pitch
Athletics infielder/outfielder Zack Gelof (head) was held out of Saturday's starting lineup against the visiting Los Angeles Angels because he came in just not feeling at his best, manager Mark Kotsay told Martin Gallegos of MLB.com. Kotsay decided to give Gelof a full day off. Gelof did not need to go through the concussion protocol after getting checked out by a doctor after being hit in the ear flap of his helmet in Friday's contest, and he could be back for Sunday's series finale. Fantasy managers will want to consider Gelof day-to-day for now. If Gelof doesn't return on Sunday, his next chance to get back into the lineup will be in Tuesday's series opener against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Fantasy managers are hoping that the 26-year-old's head injury won't affect his breakout at the plate. He's currently riding a 23-game hitting streak in which he has gone 32-for-89 (.360) with five homers, six doubles, 13 RBI, 16 runs scored, and two stolen bases to raise his season slash line to .286/341/.502 with an .843 OPS in 222 plate appearances.
Source: MLB.com - Martin Gallegos
Source: MLB.com - Martin Gallegos
Henry Bolte Emerging as a High-End Speed Option on the Waiver Wire
After recording a 1.076 OPS across 177 plate appearances to open the year at Triple-A, Athletics outfielder Henry Bolte earned a promotion to the big leagues in mid-May. The 22-year-old has continued to hit at the MLB level, slashing .313/.385/.396 with one home run, seven RBI, 10 runs scored, and six stolen bases across 109 plate appearances since making his debut. Bolte has struck out in 29.4% of his trips to the plate, so his batting average is likely to fall off to some degree as his .453 batting average on balls in play regresses to the mean. Still, Bolte has emerged as the everyday center fielder for the Athletics and possesses elite speed. Across 114 minor league games in 2025, Bolte swiped 44 bags. For fantasy managers in need of speed, Bolte profiles as a high-upside waiver wire target.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Brent Rooker Lands on 10-Day Injured List
Athletics outfielder Brent Rooker (knee) was placed on the 10-day Injured List, retroactive to June 9. Rooker was out of the lineup on Tuesday and Wednesday due to a knee issue. The team will officially place him on the shelf due to a bone bruise in his left knee. His timetable to return is unclear at the moment. The A's will likely wait the 10 days and see how he progresses before making any further decisions. In a corresponding move, infielder Jacob Wilson (shoulder) was reinstated from the Injured List. Shea Langeliers, Jonah Heim, and Carlos Cortes are all candidates to see time at designated hitter while Rooker is down.
Source: Athletics
Source: Athletics
Brent Rooker Out Again on Wednesday, Managing Knee Soreness
Athletics outfielder Brent Rooker (knee) is out of the starting lineup for the second straight day on Wednesday in Las Vegas against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers due to knee soreness that the team is managing, according to Martin Gallegos of MLB.com. Manager Mark Kotsay said the A's will wait to see how Rooker feels during Thursday's off day before potentially deciding on whether to place him on the injured list. With Rooker out again on Wednesday, Carlos Cortes will serve as the team's designated hitter and bat in the cleanup spot, with Lawrence Butler starting in right field and hitting sixth against Brewers right-hander Brandon Sproat. It's been a pretty rough season for the 31-year-old Rooker so far. The two-time right-handed slugger enters Wednesday's action with a .200/.281/.389 slash line, .670 OPS, 10 home runs, 29 RBI, 20 runs scored, and two stolen bases in 180 at-bats in 2026. He has looked better in seven games in June, going 6-for-25 (.240) with two homers, a double, three RBI, and five runs scored, but now he might be headed for a stay on the IL.
Source: MLB.com - Martin Gallegos
Source: MLB.com - Martin Gallegos
Tyler Soderstrom Continues to Heat Up With Two Homers on Monday Night
Athletics first baseman/outfielder Tyler Soderstrom stayed hot in Monday night's wild 15-14 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers in Las Vegas, going 3-for-4 at the plate with two home runs, four RBI, and two walks to boost his season batting average to .237 and his OPS to .790. There was no shortage of offense from either side in this contest, which required 12 innings to complete. His first home run was a three-run shot in the third inning, and he added a solo homer in the seventh inning, with both of his round-trippers coming off left-handed pitchers. The 24-year-old left-handed slugger has been hot for a while now, going 23-for-62 (.371) with five homers, three doubles, a triple, 14 RBI, and seven runs scored in his last 18 games, dating back to May 20. The recent hot stretch at the plate has boosted Soderstrom's overall slash line in 2026 to .237/.333/.457 with 10 home runs, 34 RBI, 29 runs scored, and a stolen base in 63 games across 267 plate appearances. Surprisingly, half of his homers this year have come off southpaws.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Henry Bolte Earning More Playing Time, Emerging as a Top Waiver-Wire Target
Since earning a promotion to the big leagues in mid-May, Athletics outfielder Henry Bolte has hit .309/.392/.368 with zero home runs, five RBI, five runs scored, and four stolen bases across 79 plate appearances. The 22-year-old may now be moving into an everyday role for the A's, as Athletics outfielder Lawrence Butler owns a .501 OPS this season and has begun to cede playing time to Bolte. While Bolte's power has been lacking in the big leagues so far, he hit 12 home runs across 177 plate appearances at Triple-A before being called up by the Athletics. He's also made consistently solid contact despite the lack of home runs, as he's posted a 53.2% hard hit rate. Swing-and-miss is a bit of a concern for Bolte, as he's struck out in 27.8% of his plate appearances. His batting average has been buoyed by a .447 batting average on balls in play, which fantasy managers should expect to regress. Still, Bolte's demonstrated speed and power upside make him an intriguing waiver wire target.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Brent Rooker Returns From Knee Injury on Friday
Athletics outfielder Brent Rooker (knee) is serving as the designated hitter and is batting cleanup for the A's in Friday's series opener at Daikin Park against the hosting Houston Astros and right-hander Peter Lambert, per MLB.com. Rooker has been bothered by some knee soreness of late, which is why the A's gave him the day off on Thursday in the final game of the series at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs. The team probably also wanted to give the right-handed slugger a day of mental rest after a really rough start to his 2026 campaign. The 31-year-old veteran outfielder enters Friday's action with a .195/.276/.360 slash line, .635 OPS, eight home runs, 26 RBI, 16 runs scored, and two steals in his 164 at-bats. Rooker has gone 5-for-37 with a homer, two RBI, four runs scored, two walks, and 13 strikeouts in his last 10 games. Fantasy managers are looking for any signs of life from Rooker at this point, but it might be wise to keep him benched until that happens. He's gone hitless in just one career at-bat against Lambert.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Brent Rooker Out on Thursday Due to Knee Soreness
Athletics outfielder Brent Rooker (knee) is out of the starting lineup for Thursday's game at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs because he is dealing with some knee soreness, according to Martin Gallegos of MLB.com. Manager Mark Kotsay said Rooker is day-to-day. "This is more caution just to get him a day to see if we can get ahead of it as opposed to continuing to go in the wrong direction," Kotsay said. Catcher Shea Langeliers is serving as the designated hitter on Thursday and will hit third, with Jonah Heim doing the catching for right-hander J.T. Ginn and batting sixth against Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga. The knee soreness for the 31-year-old Rooker could be the reason why he's still hitting under the Mendoza Line at .196 (32-for-163) as we start June. Rooker has added eight home runs, 26 RBI, 16 runs scored, and two stolen bases with an ugly .277 on-base percentage and .362 slugging percentage through 43 games. Fantasy managers will want to check back on Friday to see if the right-handed slugger is available to play for the series opener in Houston against the division-rival Astros.
Source: MLB.com - Martin Gallegos
Source: MLB.com - Martin Gallegos
Brent Rooker Remains an Intriguing Buy-Low Candidate Despite Rough Start to 2026
Athletics outfielder/designated hitter Brent Rooker has had a rough go of it so far in 2026, hitting .196/.277/.362 with eight home runs, 26 RBI, 16 runs scored, and two stolen bases across 184 plate appearances. The 31-year-old's season got off to a rocky start due to injury, as he missed nearly three weeks in April with an oblique strain. After striking out in 22.2% of his plate appearances in 2025, Rooker's strikeout rate has skyrocketed to 31% in 2026. Even with the increase in swing-and-miss, Rooker's poor batting average may be a symptom of bad luck. His current batting average on balls in play of .240 is well below his career mark of .312. Rooker's power does not appear to have degraded either, as his 14.7% barrel rate is right in line with the marks he posted across three consecutive 30-homer campaigns from 2023 to 2025. If Rooker can cut down on his whiffs even slightly, he could be in line for a major bounce-back over the remainder of 2026.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Carlos Cortes Still Worth Rostering Despite Recent Cold Stretch?
Athletics outfielder Carlos Cortes is hitting .316 (75-for-237) in his first 91 major-league games since debuting with the A's in 2025. In 49 games so far in 2026 in his first full year in the Show, he has hit .322/.406/.503 with a .910 OPS, five home runs, nine doubles, a triple, 17 RBI, 15 runs scored, and a stolen base across 165 plate appearances. It has helped that the A's have shielded him from left-handed pitchers, but in his 10 at-bats against southpaws, he has five hits (two doubles). The 28-year-old left-handed hitter has proven that he can hit for average so far in the big leagues, even if he doesn't have a ton of power. Cortes has slowed down a bit in recent games, going 3-for-20 with a double, two runs, three walks, and two strikeouts in his last seven contests. Under the hood, Cortes ranks in just the 51st percentile in hard-hit rate, but his expected batting average of .310 is the fourth-highest among qualified hitters, suggesting that he should be rostered in more than 12% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Zack Gelof a Top Waiver Wire Target Ahead of Possible Breakout Season
After opening 2026 in Triple-A, Athletics infielder/outfielder Zack Gelof earned a promotion to the big leagues in mid-April and has since established himself as his team's everyday third baseman. Across 150 plate appearances so far this season, the 26-year-old is hitting .259/.304/.432 with six home runs, 19 RBI, 21 runs scored, and six stolen bases. Gelof battled major swing-and-miss issues in his previous MLB stints, logging a 34.4% strikeout rate across 547 plate appearances in 2024 and striking out in 45.5% of his 101 plate appearances in 2025. However, the former top prospect has lowered his strikeout rate to 24.7% in 2026. As long as Gelof can continue to keep the whiffs under control, his combination of power and speed makes him an appealing option for fantasy managers. Gelof also has the advantage of playing his home games in the A's hitter-friendly home environment in Sacramento, which should allow him to maximize his abilities at the plate. Gelof profiles as a priority waiver wire target with upside ahead of a possible breakout season in 2026.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Henry Bolte Flashing Speed and Contact, Worth Monitoring on Waiver Wire
Athletics outfielder Henry Bolte has continued to impress during his rookie season, hitting .300 over his last seven games while building momentum at the major-league level. The Athletics' No. 5 prospect has raised his season batting average to .288 and has already stolen four bases in just 17 games since making his debut on May 13. Bolte's speed has translated immediately, and his 99th-percentile sprint speed gives him plenty of fantasy appeal. He has also shown an ability to make consistent contact while driving the ball with authority. Bolte owns a 50 percent hard-hit rate, a mark that sits well above league average. The sample size remains small, but his combination of speed, contact ability, and emerging production makes him a player worth monitoring closely in fantasy leagues.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Zack Gelof Offers Power/Speed Upside as a Waiver-Wire Target
Across 129 plate appearances so far in 2026, Athletics infielder/outfielder Zack Gelof is hitting .229/.283/.424 with six home runs, 17 RBI, 21 runs scored, and six stolen bases. The 26-year-old opened the season with Triple-A Las Vegas, but he's worked his way into an everyday role as the A's third baseman since being recalled in mid-April. While Gelof's 25.6% strikeout rate in 2026 is a significant improvement from the 34.4% rate he posted across 547 plate appearances in 2024, he still profiles as a negative contributor in the batting average category for fantasy managers. However, Gelof owns a 9.8% career barrel rate at the big-league level and has swiped 46 bases across 275 total MLB games. As long as he limits his whiffs enough to stay in the everyday lineup, Gelof carries 20-homer, 20-steal upside.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
