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Ruiz isn't starting Thursday against the Guardians.
Ruiz had been losing his grip on a starting job in Oakland's outfield during spring training, and the decision to leave him off the Opening Day lineup suggests he may have officially fallen a couple spots on the depth chart. The speedy outfielder may still see a decent amount of playing time in the field to give Seth Brown, JJ Bleday or Lawrence Butler a day off, but a reduced role could bring down the amount of stolen bases he is able to tally over the course of the season. Ruiz should also see regular at-bats against left-handed pitching.
