Overview
- Kurtz is scheduled to visit a hand specialist in Los Angeles on Monday to re-evaluate a right-thumb problem that has persisted since July and could lead to a second 10-day injured list placement.
- Since returning from a July IL stint Kurtz has struggled at the plate, going 1-for-18 with elevated strikeouts while still owning 21 homers and a team-high 69 RBIs on the season.
- Shortstop Jacob Wilson has been managed as the designated hitter because of patellar tendinitis and is expected to resume playing shortstop on Tuesday in Cincinnati as his knee is described as manageable.
- Right-hander J.T. Ginn is set to come off the injured list to start Tuesday’s game for the A's after recovering from a blister, and third baseman Zack Gelof will begin a rehab assignment Tuesday at Triple-A Las Vegas.
- The club’s depth has been stretched by season-ending and long-shot injuries to Brent Rooker, Shea Langeliers and Joshua Kuroda-Grauer, which raises the stakes of Kurtz’s exam for near-term lineup choices and roster strategy.