MLB Stolen Base Leader Hits Injured List with Shoulder Issue

The Oakland Athletics have placed MLB stolen base leader Esteury Ruiz on the injured list with a shoulder problem.

The Oakland Athletics have placed MLB stolen base leader Esteury Ruiz on the injured list with a shoulder problem.

The following update comes from the Rotowire fantasy baseball portal:

Ruiz was placed on the 10-day injured list Friday with a right shoulder subluxation, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

ANALYSIS
The partial dislocation of Ruiz's shoulder occurred when he dove back to first base on a pickoff attempt Wednesday against the Tigers. It's not clear at this point how long the major-league stolen base leader might be sidelined. JJ Bleday could see the bulk of the starts in center field for the Athletics while Ruiz is on the shelf.

The A's are the worst team in baseball right now 25-64 so losing any real talent is a major loss. Ruiz is one of the most dynamic baserunning threats in the entire sport. He's got 43 steals which is two more than National League MVP-front runner Ronald Acuna Jr. (41).

The 24-year-old is in his second year in the big leagues after debuting in 2022 with the San Diego Padres. He was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in 2022 and then was dealt to the A's this past offseason.

In addition to his running prowess, he's also handled the bat as well. He's hitting .257 with 1 homer and 35 RBI in 334 at-bats.

The A's will take on the Boston Red Sox for a three-game series at Fenway Park to close out the first half of the season. 

Game 1 of the series is Friday night at 7:10 p.m. ET.

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