Athletics' Esteury Ruiz: Productive in shutout loss Sunday
Rotowire
Ruiz went 2-for-4 with a double and two stolen bases in a loss to the Tigers on Sunday.
The rookie outfielder collected his 64th and 65th steals of the season, extending his insurmountable AL lead over the Royals' Bobby Witt (48 steals) and bringing him within three of MLB frontrunner Ronald Acuna. Ruiz is creating plenty of opportunities to utilize his blazing speed on the basepaths of late, as he's now hitting .381 (8-for-21) with Sunday's double, a home run, four RBI, two walks, seven steals and three runs across his last eight games.
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Athletics' Esteury Ruiz: Swats fifth homer in win
Rotowire
Ruiz went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer and an additional run scored in Saturday's 4-1 victory over Detroit.
The speedy 24-year-old took Joey Wentz deep for a two-run shot, giving Oakland a 2-1 lead in the third inning. Through 18 games in September, Ruiz is batting .318 with three home runs, eight RBI, six runs and 10 steals; much improved from the .173/.259/.288 slash line he posted across 22 games in August.
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Athletics' Esteury Ruiz: Swipes two bags
Rotowire
Ruiz went 1-for-1 with two RBI and two stolen bases in Friday's 8-2 win over the Tigers.
He didn't get the start but entered as a replacement for Tony Kemp (ankle) in left field. Ruiz made an impact with a two-run single in the seventh inning, then stole second and third. The speedster is up to 63 thefts this season, including 10 over 17 contests in September. He's swiped at least 10 bags in every month except July, which he missed most of due to a shoulder injury. The outfielder has added a .251/.305/.337 slash line with four home runs, 44 RBI and 44 runs scored through 124 contests.
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Athletics' Esteury Ruiz: Taking seat Wednesday
Rotowire
Ruiz is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mariners.
Ruiz's playing time since he returned from the injured list in early August has been hit or miss. This will be the fifth time he's out of the lineup over the last eight contests.
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Athletics' Esteury Ruiz: Crosses 60-steal mark
Rotowire
Ruiz went 1-for-2 with two stolen bases in Monday's 5-0 loss to the Mariners.
Ruiz didn't start the game, but he entered as a pinch hitter and made some noise on the basepaths. The two steals gave him 61 on the year, the most by an American League player since Juan Pierre swiped 68 in 2010. Ruiz has notched eight thefts in September despite somewhat limited playing time. Over 121 contests this season, he's added a .250/.304/.338 slash line, four home runs, 42 RBI and 44 runs scored.
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Athletics' Esteury Ruiz: Knocks rare homer
Rotowire
Ruiz went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in Friday's win over Texas.
Ruiz took Jordan Montgomery deep for a solo shot in the fifth inning after knocking an RBI single in the second. It was Ruiz's second homer in seven games but he still has just four through 442 plate appearances. He's slashing .252/.306/.343 with 28 extra-base hits and 58 stolen bases on the year.
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Athletics' Esteury Ruiz: Swipes two more bases Wednesday
Rotowire
Ruiz went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases in a win over the Blue Jays on Wednesday.
As is often the case, Ruiz didn't remain still for long after getting aboard via a fifth-inning single, pilfering second and third base during the Athletics' next two plate appearances. While he was ultimately stranded 90 feet away from scoring his 43rd run of the season, Ruiz is now just two more swipes away from reaching the vaunted 60-steal mark on the season, and he's recorded two stolen bases apiece in four of his last 10 games.
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Athletics' Esteury Ruiz: Two steals as in-game replacement
Rotowire
Ruiz entered Monday's extra-inning loss to the Blue Jays as a pinch runner in the ninth inning and remained in the game as the designated hitter. He didn't log an official plate appearance but recorded two stolen bases.
Ruiz made the most of his brief time on the diamond, pilfering both second and third base after being inserted to run for Brent Rooker following the latter's leadoff single in the ninth. The speedy Ruiz came within 90 feet of scoring the winning run thanks to his pair of steals, but Shea Langeliers stranded him with an inning-ending popup. Ruiz is up to 56 stolen bases despite a 22-game stint on the injured list from early July to early August, and he's offered a nice bonus with 27 extra-base hits and 40 RBI as well across his 432 plate appearances.
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Athletics' Esteury Ruiz: Taking seat Monday
Rotowire
Ruiz is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Blue Jays, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
Ruiz's playing time has been sporadic over the last couple weeks, as he had started three of the previous four games prior to Monday but before that made only one start in a six-game stretch. His stolen-base upside keeps his fantasy value afloat, but his stock has nonetheless taken a hit with the lack of consistent at-bats.
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Athletics' Esteury Ruiz: Fills box score in win
Rotowire
Ruiz went 3-for-5 with a home run, a double, a stolen base, two RBI and two runs scored in Friday's 9-2 win over the Angels.
Somewhat surprisingly, Ruiz came up a triple shy of the cycle, though he never had a chance at it after making outs in his first two at-bats. He's collected six hits over his last 11 at-bats while logging five steals in that span. The speedy outfielder is up to 54 thefts with three homers, 40 RBI, 42 runs scored, 22 doubles, a triple and a .251/.307/.338 slash line through 428 plate appearances. Ruiz has fallen into a timeshare in center field, and his brutal August slump has allowed Lawrence Butler to earn time against right-handers.
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Athletics' Esteury Ruiz: Swipes two more bags
Rotowire
Ruiz went 2-for-3 with a double, a run scored, an RBI and two stolen bases in Wednesday's 5-4 loss to the Mariners.
Getting the start in left field and batting ninth, Ruiz continued to be a pest on the basepaths by swiping bags in the second and seventh innings, but he also got thrown out at the plate to end the latter frame -- a play that loomed large given the final score. Incredibly, Ruiz has more steals (10) than hits (nine) in August, slashing a woeful .173/.259/.288 on the month and seeing his playing time dwindle as Lawrence Butler takes over the starting center-field job for the A's.
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Athletics' Esteury Ruiz: Heads to bench Sunday
Rotowire
Ruiz is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Orioles.
Ruiz will hit the bench for Oakland's second straight matchup with a right-handed pitcher (Kyle Bradish), ceding his spot in the outfield to Tony Kemp. The non-contending Athletics probably aren't ready to pull the plug on Ruiz as an everyday player just yet, but the rookie's downturn in playing time comes while he's struggled to get going at the dish since making his return from the a dislocated shoulder Aug. 5. In his first 12 games back from the injured list, Ruiz is slashing .167/.250/.306 with a 34.1 percent strikeout rate, though he's at least helped out fantasy managers with five stolen bases and a home run.
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Athletics' Esteury Ruiz: On bench Friday
Rotowire
Ruiz is not in the lineup Friday against the Orioles.
Ruiz has recorded a double and a stolen base in each of his last two games, but he's slashing just .251/.304/.331 across 405 total major-league plate appearances this year, albeit with an AL-leading 48 steals. Tony Kemp, Lawrence Butler and Seth Brown are starting across the outfield for Oakland on Friday.
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Athletics' Esteury Ruiz: Records 47th steal Tuesday
Rotowire
Ruiz went 1-for-2 with a double, a hit-by-pitch and a stolen base in a loss to the Cardinals on Tuesday.
Ruiz hit out of the No. 9 spot in the order for only the second time since returning from the injured list on Aug. 5. The speedy outfielder was able to record an extra-base hit for a second straight game after clocking his second home run of the season Monday, and he also pulled off his seventh straight successful stolen-base attempt in the process. Despite the recent success, Ruiz is still carrying a .179/.207/.321 slash line and 33.3 percent strikeout rate across the 30 plate appearances he's logged over nine games since his return.
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Athletics' Esteury Ruiz: Belts second homer
Rotowire
Ruiz went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in a loss to the Cardinals on Monday.
Ruiz hit what was an exceedingly rare homer -- only his second of the season -- leaving the yard with a 382-foot shot to left center in the fifth inning to temporarily knot the score at 1-1. The talented outfielder's calling card is naturally his speed, but the round tripper is an especially welcome sight considering Ruiz was mired in a 1-for-14 slump over the previous five games entering Monday.
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Athletics' Esteury Ruiz: Sits in second straight
Rotowire
Ruiz isn't in Oakland's lineup Sunday against the Nationals.
Ruiz is just 3-for-22 with three stolen bases since his return from the injured list Aug. 5, and he'll take a seat Sunday to regroup. Lawrence Butler will slide to center field to take Ruiz's place while Cody Thomas gets the nod in right.
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Athletics' Esteury Ruiz: Heads to bench
Rotowire
Ruiz will not be in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Nationals.
Ruiz started nearly every game in the early part of the season, but he sits here for the second time in seven games since his return from a shoulder injury. The Athletics have nothing more than individual accolades to play for at this point, so while Ruiz would likely enjoy the chance to push his total of 46 steals as high as it can go, the team will probably prioritize his long-term health and avoid overworking him at the tail end of a lost season. Lawrence Butler starts in center field Saturday.
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Athletics' Esteury Ruiz: Swipes two bags in win
Rotowire
Ruiz went 1-for-4 with a run scored and two steals in Wednesday's 2-0 victory over the Rangers.
Ruiz singled in his second at-bat before stealing both second and third base. He then came home on a sacrifice fly from Jonah Bride to give the Athletics their first run of the game. The center fielder has struggled at the dish since he returned from the injured list Aug. 5, batting just .188 with three stolen bases and only one run scored in 16 at-bats. He's also struck out six times during that stretch and twice in each of his last two games, while his last walk came back on July 1.
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Athletics' Esteury Ruiz: Not in Monday's lineup
Rotowire
Ruiz is not in the lineup for Monday's game against the Rangers.
Ruiz started the last two days after being activated from the injured list, but he will not open Monday's game on the field. JJ Bleday will get the nod in center field instead.
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Athletics' Esteury Ruiz: Singles, steals in return
Rotowire
Ruiz (shoulder), activated from the injured list earlier in the day, went 1-for-3 with a stolen base in a win over the Giants on Saturday.
Ruiz led off in his return and got the green light on the basepaths, leading to his 44th steal of the season. The speedy outfielder hit well during his rehab assignment, but it's nevertheless encouraging to see him get on base and be free of restrictions right from the jump. Ruiz has now hit safely in five of his last seven big-league games dating back to June 29.
