Baseball

A’s roster moves: Top Prospect Returns After Time Out, Toro DFA’d And More

Nero Scofield

Hernaiz also optioned out, Alvarez coming back up

The A’s made several roster changes ahead of their road trip, including activating top prospect Jacob Wilson from the injured list.

At last! We’ve been looking forward to seeing Wilson in the Green & Gold all year, and we got a glimpse on July 19th when he made his MLB debut. He kicked off his career with a hit in his first at-bat against Angels starter Griffin Canning, but unfortunately, he hurt his hamstring while rounding third trying to score his first run. That injury kept Wilson out for just over a month, but he’s back now and is starting in tonight’s lineup as the Reds series begins!

Wilson will initially bat toward the bottom of the lineup, but it won’t be long before he moves up as he continues to impress. Since rejoining the Aviators just ten days ago, he has gone 9-for-23 with two walks and two strikeouts, showing he hasn’t missed a beat. It seems he avoided a serious hamstring injury, allowing fans to finally get a good look at last year’s 6th overall draft pick.

To make space for Wilson on the roster, the team designated infielder Abraham Toro for assignment. It’s a disappointing end for Toro’s time with the Athletics after a promising start to the season. Acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers in a minor trade, he was one of the A’s top hitters earlier in the year, boasting a .288/.332/.429 slash line at the end of May. However, a strained hamstring sidelined him for a month, and even before that, his performance was starting to decline. After his return, Toro found himself losing playing time to younger players like Darell Hernaiz. This move allows more consistent playing time for others as the season winds down. Toro is still young and was once a highly-rated prospect, so another team might show interest in him soon.

In addition to that, the Athletics optioned the younger infielder Hernaiz back to Triple-A, where he’ll likely take over as the primary shortstop. There were high expectations for him this year, but injuries hindered his rookie campaign. While Wilson takes over at shortstop for the remainder of the season, Hernaiz can focus on getting regular at-bats in Triple-A and potentially work his way back into the team’s plans, whether at shortstop or another infield position.

Filling the roster spot left by Hernaiz will be rookie Armando Alvarez. The right-handed corner infielder has had a few opportunities in the majors this year, performing decently with an 8-for-29 record so far. He’s expected to serve as a right-handed bench option and may back up Seth Brown at first base or get some at-bats at third over Max Shuemann.

Lastly, the DFA of Toro cleared a spot on the 40-man roster, and the team quickly claimed infielder Tristan Gray off waivers from the Miami Marlins.

Similar to Alvarez, Gray is a corner infield prospect who has experienced his first taste of major league action over the past couple of years, including a two-game appearance with the Rays last year and seven games with the Marlins this season. He brings significant power to the plate, demonstrated by his consecutive 30-homer seasons in Triple-A, though he does have a high strikeout rate. Gray will report to the Aviators and is expected to be in the lineup every day for the remainder of the season. There’s a chance he could earn a call-up to the big league roster in September. Welcome, Gray!

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