MidValleySports.Com

By Tim Byrnes

Injuries are taking a serious toll on the few bright spots the Athletics have to offer fans this season.

Infield utility man Max Muncy (No, not that one!) got hit by a pitch in the series opener and was placed on the 10-day IL with a hand fracture.

Leading up to that, Muncy had hits in 14 of his previous 20 games and had brought his batting average 20+ points.
He joins CF Denzel Clarke who was also placed on the 10-day IL (retro to 7/21) for a right adductor strain.

Losing Clarke was huge as he had just corrected some hitting mechanics issues and was making great contact. His defense is already legendary as the rookie has won MLB’s Electric Play of the Week four consecutive weeks this year.

All-Star SS Jacob Wilson was hit on his wrist July 8th by an Atlanta Braves pitcher, with a retaliatory pitch for an inside-the-park home run and he hasn’t been the same since; hitting .102 since the injury.

Wilson has spent most of the season as MLB’s second best batting average behind Aaron Judge and with the injury lingering he was hitless versus Texas.

The A’s were swept by the Rangers in surprisingly easy fashion but it wasn’t because of the usual suspects causing the A’s demise.

After putting on an extra-base-hit (xbh) clinic against Cleveland, the big hits just didn’t come versus the Rangers.

Closing off the high temperature outside Globe Life Field cooled attending fans and Athletics bats and word is Houston plans on closing the roof this weekend as well.

Athletics Batting:
While xbh’s were scarce this series and the main reason the A’s were swept, a few Athletics continue to do damage with the bats.

Fresh off his AL Player of the Week Award, 1B Nick Kurtz continued his stellar play by batting .400 for the series with yet another home run in a series opener.

In his last five series openers, Kurtz has homered against the Giants, Braves, Blue Jays, and now the Rangers.

Kurtz is currently on a 10 game hitting streak and is batting an even .500 since the All-Star Break.

Catcher Shea Langeliers seems to have benefitted from five days off and has come out of the break with hits in every game.
With three multi-hit games over that span, Langeliers has batted .434 and added two home runs to start the second half.

Due to the aforementioned injuries that have befallen the Athletics, Miguel Andujar is getting more playing time and he is making the most of it.

With the consistent contact he has hits in four of five games he has appeared in and his versatility in both the infield and outfield will likely see him in the lineup every day.

Struggling alongside Wilson in the second half is outfielder Lawrence Butler, and while he is a likely finalist for MLB Electric Play of the Week, he has only one hit in twenty post-break at bats.

His 10 strikeouts show he is having issues catching up to fastballs and was sat in the finale, only entering late in the contest.

He did rob the Rangers of a deep home run with an amazing leap in center field which eased the pain of losing the defense of Clarke.

Athletics Pitching:
All three starters went five innings and while JT Ginn and JP Sears allowed only one earned run each in their outings, the bullpen lost them the games.

A’s starter Jacob Lopez continued his July struggles with two home runs, and five earned runs given up to take the loss in the opener.

This month he has an inflated 6.91 era and has given up four long balls and may lose his spot in the rotation if he can’t make adjustments.

In the finale, Sears and reliever Jack Perkins allowed one run each to pitch a fine game but the A’s bats were quiet and Perkins took the loss.

In spite of the loss, Perkins is a guaranteed three innings pitched and he is the long reliever we have needed for a couple of years.

With JT Ginn returning to the rotation, Osvaldo Bido has to step up and eat innings as middle relief but he has been hit hard all year.

Upcoming Series:
The Athletics (42-62) continue their roadtrip through Texas with four gamea in Houston.
A’s RHP Luis Severino (3-11, 5.10) will take the mound against former A’s RHP Jason Alexander (1-0, 8.40) where he will continue his “pitching interview” process.

Severino is taking the mound for his last start before the trade deadline, and he has made it clear he doesn’t want to play at Sutter Health Park anymore.

With an 0-9, 6.68 line at home the A’s likely agree with him.
With his first win in over a month against Cleveland, a strong showing versus Houston (60-42) could attract a playoff-bound team to add some depth.

GameTime:
July 24, 2025 510pm
Daikin Park
Houston, Texas