Athletics' Zack Gelof: Records fifth steal in loss
Rotowire
Gelof went 1-for-5 with a stolen base in an extra-innings loss to the Rays on Thursday.
Gelof snapped an 0-for-18 slump with a single, while his steal was his fifth of the season but first since April 21. Last season's encouraging rookie campaign is increasingly in the rearview mirror for Gelof, who's now sitting on a .176 batting average and .512 OPS across 162 plate appearances. A significant season-over-season increase in strikeout rate (27.3 percent to 34.6 percent) and a notable decrease in line-drive rate (25.5 percent to 16.5 percent) have contributed to a steep drop in his BABIP (.331 to .258).
Gelof went 2-for-5 with a game-tying RBI single in an extra-innings loss to the Rockies on Wednesday.
After knotting the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the ninth with his timely knock, Gelof also drove in Shea Langeliers during the 12th but didn't get credited with an RBI since it was a double-play groundout. Nevertheless, Gelof did extend his on-base streak to four games with his multi-hit effort, his first since April 21. Despite the recent modest success, Gelof's slash line sits at a paltry .192/.260/.308 across 132 plate appearances, with a strikeout rate that's shot up from a rookie figure of 27.3 percent to 34.1 percent partly to blame for his struggles.
Gelof (oblique) went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in Tuesday's 2-1 extra-inning loss to the Astros.
Gelof missed just under three weeks with an oblique strain. The second baseman returned to the No. 6 spot in the lineup, which is where he was slotting into just before the injury after starting the year batting second. He's slashing a poor .188/.250/.323 with three home runs, seven RBI, 11 runs scored and four stolen bases over 25 contests this season. Gelof showed promise with 14 homers and an .841 OPS over 69 games in 2023, but he's still looking to get into a rhythm this year.
Gelof (oblique) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list and is starting at second base Tuesday against the Astros.
The 24-year-old has been sidelined nearly three weeks by an oblique strain and is back with Oakland after a two-game rehab assignment with Triple-A Las Vegas. Gelof had a slow start to the campaign with a .597 OPS through 24 games but should operate as the Athletics' primary second baseman now that he's healthy.
Gelof (oblique) rejoined the Athletics on Monday and could be activated from the 10-day injured list during their four-game series in Houston, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
Gelof played consecutive full rehab games with Triple-A Las Vegas on Saturday and Sunday, which was the last box he needed to check before returning to the big club. The Athletics seem content to give Gelof a rest day Monday before likely activating him ahead of Tuesday's contests. Gelof has been out since late April with a strained left oblique.
... See More... See Less
Athletics' Zack Gelof: Plays full rehab game again
Rotowire
Gelof (oblique) played a full game at second base in Triple-A Las Vegas' win over Round Rock on Sunday, going 0-for-3 with an RBI sacrifice fly and a walk.
Gelof's ability to play a full game for the second straight day is certainly an encouraging sign for his progress from his oblique injury. The young infielder could be on the verge of activation, although the Athletics will undoubtedly evaluate him carefully Monday to see how he's responded to the back-to-back full workloads over the weekend.
