2:55pm: Martin Gallegos of MLB.com relays word from the A’s training staff that this injury is the result of Laureano getting hit by a pitch in Milwaukee earlier this month. The slide in Tampa injured his left hand, not his right. The A’s were in Milwaukee June 9 to 11, so Laureano has apparently been battling this injury for two weeks already.
2:40pm: The Athletics announced today that outfielder Ramón Laureano has been placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to June 22, with a fractured right hand. Outfielder Conner Capel has been recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas in a corresponding move.
Laureano has been dealing with a hand issue for over a week now. It was on June 14 that he appeared to injure his fingers on a slide into third base in a game against the Rays. He’s been in and out of the lineup since then but will now get a lengthier absence of over a week. It’s unclear whether the initial injury simply hasn’t healed or if he reaggravated it.
The outfielder had spent many years as a solid two-way player for Oakland until receiving an 80-game suspension in August of 2021 after testing positive for Nandrolone, a banned performance-enhancing substance. Prior to that suspension, he hit .263/.335/.465 for a wRC+ of 119 in 313 career games while also stealing 34 bases and earning plaudits for his glovework.
He returned last year but hasn’t been able to get back to that level of performance. He’s hit .212/.282/.370 since being reinstated for a wRC+ of 90, though the other portions of his game are still solid. He’s swiped 19 bags since then and, though he’s been largely bumped from center to right field, is still considered a strong defender.
The loss of Laureano won’t mean too much to the A’s in the short term as their 19-58 record is the worst in all of baseball. However, it’s potentially significant for the upcoming trade deadline. The Athletics are one of very few clubs that make for obvious sellers this year, with the expanded playoffs and weak Central divisions giving most clubs some kind of plausible shot at a postseason run. The A’s have already traded away most of their veterans and the roster is now filled with younger players they are hoping to build around.
Laureano will turn 29 next month and has already reached arbitration on a struggling team, making him one of the few straightforward trade candidates this summer. His offensive slide wouldn’t have given him much value but his speed and defense at least give him a solid floor as a bench piece that could garner interest around the league. He’ll now have to recuperate from this hand injury with just over five weeks until the August 1 deadline.
With Laureano sidelined, the club will turn to Capel as well as outfielders like Seth Brown, JJ Bleday, Tony Kemp and Brent Rooker to fill the corners, with Esteury Ruiz in center field most days.
Ramon Laureano has become the “what if” player. What if it wasn’t for the injuries. What if it wasn’t for the suspension. What if he could keep it all together.
uh…they got a lot out of what was essentially a Rule 5 pick. If you want to point fingers as to why they kerplunked in the playoffs, their pitching was pretty lousy overall (which goes back to mgmt bc they never invested in an ace despite the quality of the rest of the roster).
Laureano frequently provided spark to a team that was willing to say die.
The Atheletics has to be on IL!
Laureano has now joined the MLB list of people named Smith…
MLB may have sped the games up, but there are few players you see more than a handful of games.
Games are short, but not sweet…
Did juicing really help his numbers or are the injuries taking a toll on his ability to produce? What a shame, the few times I’ve seen he made tremendous defensive plays.
Or did juicing help Laureano stave off and/or recover from nagging aches, pains, and the minor injuries that slow many players as each season wears on?
Capel called-up instead of Cody ????
Here are their Stats in Triple-A :
Conner Capel = .297 average, .366 on-base %, 3 homers, 21 rbi’s, in 145 at bats
Cody Thomas = .319 average, .381 on-base %, 15 homers, 70 rbi’s, 260 at bats
Ramon plays Right Field for the A’s. Cody plays Right Field for Triple-A Vegas.
Hmmm … ok. Just because Capel is on the 40-Man Roster already doesn’t mean he is a better Option than Cody.
milb.com/las-vegas/stats/at-bats
Yes, it does. Thomas would have to be added to the 40 Man Roster which means you would need to remove someone. Who are you going to take off the 40 Man Roster and lose for a few weeks of a 4th OFer?
Take your pick – Tyler Wade, Tony Kemp, the Relief Pitcher that pitched yesterday and walked everybody and uncorked how many Wild Pitches in one Inning ?
Anecdotal but Laureano looked foul at the plate when i saw him so that tracks. But…he didnt have the worst swings of the day somehow. Definitely went to Rooker.