Athletics' Esteury Ruiz: Homers in return

Ruiz hit a solo home run in his lone plate appearance in a loss to the Cardinals on Monday.

Ruiz was recalled from Triple-A prior to the contest and entered as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning. He produced Oakland's only run of the game when he smashed a 406-foot solo shot off Cardinals reliever JoJo Romero. It was a bit baffling when the A's sent Ruiz to the minors April 1, as he had gone 3-for-7 with a stolen base over his first three games. He played well during his Triple-A stint, slashing .326/.423/.581 with seven thefts in eight tries and showed more than his usual amount of power with three long balls. He probably isn't going to suddenly become a home-run hitter, but that's fine with most fantasy managers who hung onto him during his demotion -- after Ruiz racked up an AL-leading 67 thefts as a rookie last year, he figures to be a difference-maker in that category (if given enough playing time) now that he's back in the big leagues.