The A’s announced a series of roster moves on Wednesday, placing slugger Khris Davis on the 10-day DL due to a strained right groin and designating right-hander Wilmer Font for assignment. In place of Davis and Font, the A’s have recalled top infield prospect Franklin Barreto and right-hander Daniel Gossett from Triple-A Nashville.
[Related: Oakland Athletics depth chart]
Oakland’s press release announcing the moves didn’t indicate a timeline for Davis’ return, though there’s no indication that his injury is especially serious or that he’s facing a prolonged absence. The 30-year-old slugger is off to a .235/.307/.497 start to the season and has swatted 13 homers in 205 trips to the plate. While his walk rate is down to 7.3 percent after last season’s career-high mark of 11.2 percent, Davis’ 25.9 percent strikeout rate is also his lowest mark since registering a 22.2 percent mark as a rookie. Davis, a free agent at season’s end, is currently on pace for a third consecutive 40-homer season despite his cavernous home park.
With Davis out of action, the A’s can turn to Mark Canha or Chad Pinder for some looks in the DH slot. Barreto’s return to Oakland could also give the team additional opportunities to give any of their primary infielders a breather by taking a day at DH, and Barreto himself could of course see some looks there as well. He’s hitting .235/.352/.445 with six homers and seven doubles in 152 Triple-A plate appearances this season. While his 13.4 percent walk rate is far and away a career-best, Barreto’s 29.6 percent strikeout rate in Triple-A is a continuation of the contact troubles he showed in Nashville last season.
As for Font, this marks the second time the hard-throwing righty has been designated for assignment in 2018. While he’s certainly an intriguing bullpen option on the heels of last season’s ridiculous 11.9 K/9 and 32.1 percent strikeout rate as a starter in the Dodgers’ system, Font has been hammered for 10 homers in just 17 big league innings en route to a 12.71 ERA between L.A. and Oakland this season. The Athletics will have a week to trade Font or try to pass him through outright waivers and send him to the minors for further refinement.
Glad font is finally gone. Hatcher needs to be next!
hehe… dropping all those dodgers like flies… now you know how i feel… 😛
Next maybe they’ll take Pat Venditte back?
Coulombe and Dull are also really bad, but were serviceable like 2 years ago, so A’s media treats them like they’re regulars who need to be gifted a spot on the 25 man even though their current performances have been awful.
Bottom line, once Hatcher, Coulombe and Dull are off the team and replaced by Buchter, Hendriks and Triggs the pen will be a monster – yes Triggs as SP needs to end, he simply can’t do it. Keep him in the pen and watch him be a multi-inning beast.
Treinen, Trivino, Buchter, Hendriks, Casilla, Triggs, Pagan, Petit is going to be good but I’d also like to see Oakland go after more bullpen arms at the deadline if they’re in it. Kelvin Herrera, Zach Britton, and all of SD’s CWS and Cincy’s bullpens should be available.
Dull and Columbe were amazing 2 years ago. it’s interesting how you put Casilla in your mix of bullpen guys but not Dull or Columbe. Casilla was horrible for the A’s last year and now because he’s doing good for the first quarter of the season you’d keep him? Maybe this is your thought because the A’s are above .500 this far into the season?
Hatcher isn’t a horrible pitcher. I would keep him over some of the other guys in the pen.
No, he isn’t horrible, he’s absolutely awful.
Khris Davis is a free agent after the 2019 season, not 2018…
“no indication that his injury is especially serious”
Grade 1 strain, 10-day DL should be enough.
sfchronicle.com/athletics/article/A-s-place-Khris-…
Hopefully they will play Barreto every day while Davis is out, to make up for burning that option earlier when they bought him up to ride the bench for 2 straight weeks, but the reason why he didn’t break camp out of ST was that they wanted to give him “regular AB’s at AAA”. Dumb dumb dumb….
He’s in the lineup tonight but should play every single game at 2B while Lowrie gets his body some rest at DH while still mashing.
Good call, JT… especially that part about Lowrie taking over at DH until Davis is re-activated.
Joyce will DH not Canha or Pinder they are better OF. This is Gosset’s 3rd chance at cracking the rotation so he better not blow it this time.
hopefully this injury isn’t too serious. Davis deserves a good contract and the A’s could use this injury to their benefit, if the injury ends up nagging him the rest of the season.
Font is young albeit a powerful arm. But he needs to learn the ropes without so much pressure so that he develops in a quality pitcher. Hopefully, he can pass through waivers and stay with the A’s…