Overview
- The Athletics placed Nick Kurtz on the 10-day injured list after a Los Angeles hand specialist diagnosed a chronic volar plate tear of the right-thumb MCP joint and he received an ultrasound-guided platelet-rich plasma injection.
- Kurtz has struggled since a brief July return, going 1-for-36 over his last 12 games and falling to a .256 batting average despite 21 home runs and a team-leading 69 RBIs this season.
- Oakland also moved left-hander Jeffrey Springs to the 15-day injured list for right hip discomfort, reinstated right-hander J.T. Ginn from the IL, and recalled third baseman Max Muncy from Triple-A Las Vegas.
- The club designated lefty Ben Bowden for assignment and outrighted right-hander Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang to Las Vegas after he cleared waivers, removing a depth option who has not yet reached the majors.
- Springs’ season-long struggles — a 6.17 ERA, 1.481 WHIP and a league-leading 28 homers allowed — heighten pressure on the rotation while Muncy and other internal options fill immediate offensive gaps.