A’s outfielder Lawrence Butler will make his first Spring Training appearance tomorrow, reports Martín Gallegos of MLB.com. He’ll serve as a designated hitter against the White Sox. The A’s are off on Wednesday but Butler could get his first outfield work during Thursday’s game against the Mariners.
Butler played through a right knee injury late in the 2025 season. He underwent postseason patellar tendon surgery but has maintained confidence he’ll be ready for Opening Day. Butler has been able to take hitting drills throughout camp. He’d been held out of game action until this week to avoid running at full speed.
The A’s have six remaining Spring Training contests. Butler could take 15-20 exhibition at-bats if they feel comfortable playing him on consecutive days. It appears he’ll be ready to go when the A’s head to Rogers Centre to take on the defending American League champions to begin the season.
Butler is coming off a .234/.306/.404 showing across 630 plate appearances. He had a 20-20 campaign and hit 30 doubles, but his rate metrics were around league average. Although it wasn’t a bad season, it was a step back from the huge 2024 second half that established him as a core piece. Playing through the injury probably had something to do with that. Butler took a .251/.326/.433 line into the All-Star Break but hit .203/.268/.351 in the second half.
He’ll man right alongside Tyler Soderstrom and Denzel Clarke in Mark Kotsay’s outfield. Butler fits best in a corner but has the athleticism to play center if Clarke’s strikeout concerns outweigh his defensive excellence.
Butler hasn’t been good against left-handed pitching, batting .228/.261/.397 while striking out a third of time in 234 career plate appearances versus southpaws. The A’s have remained committed to him as an everyday player. They claimed righty-hitting utility player Andy Ibáñez from the Dodgers last month. He’s primarily an infielder but could be an option in right field if the A’s wanted to shield Butler from lefties to give him some rest early in the season.
In other news, the team made a few camp cuts over the weekend. Top prospects Leo De Vries and Gage Jump were among those reassigned to minor league camp. Neither player is on the 40-man roster, nor were they expected to garner serious consideration for the Opening Day roster.
A midseason promotion could be on the table for either player. De Vries will play the entire season at 19, so that’d be an extremely aggressive call, but he’s coming off a .255/.355/.451 showing between High-A and Double-A. De Vries was six years younger than the average player at the Double-A level and more than held his own. He also had a remarkable first MLB camp, batting .409 with three homers and doubles apiece in 17 games.
Jump, a left-handed pitcher who turns 23 in April, took the ball four times this spring. He tossed 9 2/3 innings of two-run ball, striking out seven against three walks. Jump spent most of last year in Double-A, where he turned in a 3.64 ERA while fanning a quarter of batters faced across 20 outings. The back of the A’s rotation is open enough that it wouldn’t be a surprise if Jump pitches his way to West Sacramento by the All-Star Break.
I’ll be interested to see if the A’s can get to .500 this year. Hope they have a decent second year in Sacramento.
That position player group is going to win them plenty of games. If they can coax some average pitching, they have a playoff caliber team.
Problem is I dont think they can be even close to league average.
Unless somehow their pitchers end up w some way of using aaa park to their advantage……. not bloody likely.
They will keep gettint blown out in any games they dont score 5+
The other team has to pitch there as well Mrs. Howtime. It’s an offensive park so embrace it. The A’s have built a good lineup so slugging it out is their way
You will be disappointed again like every Halloween.
They wont win 80 games, but they will be fun to watch some nights.
Anthony Franco,
More Henry Bolte in the A’s outfield discussion, please.
The A’s are going to be running the whole show in 3 years.
Daddy Mac will make ya ….
Oakland is sure looking different. They always manifest pitching. They will be great in lost wages
The A’s in Lost Wages, appropriate somehow.
That De Vries trade was definitely interesting to hit .400 with that much power as a 19 year old is very intriguing even if it’s spring training but Mason Miller might be the most electric pitcher in the league watching him the other night in the WBC he is insanely good.
The Padres should have swung Miller and kept Devries
Nice reporting mlbtr. Great to hear about how the top prospects are doing in each camp.
Devries is the best prospect in mlb not named konnor. He’s got soto/julio/witt potential
Not named konner Griffin or Kevin mcgonigle but he could be right behind them dude is going to be a stud though he had one heck of a spring training for sure.
Butler parlayed one good half-season into a ridiculous contract. Nice trick.
If Clarke can’t hit enough then I want Bolte in center, not butler. Bum knee and not that good in center……no thanks.
Bolte surprised me and looked good this spring. Hopefully he continues at Triple A and is ready for the call up.
Really liking the young core that is ready to be called up in the near future.
Jump
Tommy Tanks
Bolte
De Vries
Arnold
The A’s have a chance to be really, really good by the time they move to Vegas. With De Vries on the way, that offense is going to be scary for a long time. I’d like to see them lock Kurtz up next.