Tyler Soderstrom Pulled From A's Win Over San Diego Padres
The Athletics were able to collect their first home win of the season at Sutter Health Park on Tuesday night, defeating the San Diego Padres 10-4. The A's rode a six-run first inning and a three-run third against Dylan Cease to secure the win, but there was also a play in the top of the first that had A's fans holding their breath.
On a routine grounder to third baseman Gio Urshela, the third baseman's throw to first, which would have ended the inning and the threat, sailed a little high. Soderstrom leaped to corral the throw, and as he came down, Jose Iglesias ran through the bag, and in doing so, collided with the first baseman's calf.
There was a delay on the field, but Soderstrom would remain in the game until he was pinch-hit for in the bottom of the eighth inning when the game was largely secured.
The A's announced that he left the contest with tightness in his right calf. A's manager Mark Kotsay told reporters after the game that they're calling it a calf contusion, and that it started tightening up towards the end of the game.
Martín Gallegos of MLB.com said that the team would see how he feels on Wednesday.
This will presumably mean that Soderstrom is out of the lineup for Wednesday's contest, especially with the off-day on Thursday, before the team welcomes the New York Mets over the weekend.
Soderstrom has been one of the A's best hitters this season, with the 23-year-old batting .378 with a .440 OBP and six home runs. Those six dingers are tied with New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge for the MLB lead.
Not only has the first baseman been a big key for the A's offense, but he has also shown tremendous strides defensively at a fairly new position for him. He was drafted as a catcher, and the A's saw him as a catcher until more recently, when they acquired Shea Langeliers from the Atlanta Braves and he took over as the starter behind the dish.
If Soderstrom were to miss any amount of time on the IL, which doesn't necessarily seem likely at the moment, but if he were, then the A's could slot Seth Brown at first in the short-term, given that he too is a left-hander and is capable of fielding the position.
They could also legitimately consider bringing up their new No. 1 prospect, Nick Kurtz, whom they selected with the No. 4 overall pick in last year's MLB Draft. Through nine games with Triple-A Las Vegas, the 22-year-old is batting .410 with a .452 OBP.
Granted, it's a small sample size, but the way that he just appears to be bullying pitchers in the Pacific Coast League really stands out. It's also what he's done at every level he's been dropped into thus far. Not only is he hitting for average and getting on base, but he has also slugged five home runs and collected 15 RBI.
Kurtz could be the best option for the A's to consider if something were to happen to Soderstrom, given his immense upside. Regardless, if he keeps mashing like he has been, then he won't have to wait much longer to make his MLB debut. When he does, that will create a bit of a roster crunch for the green and gold, since there isn't an obvious spot to drop both him and Soderstrom in the lineup.
Jason has been covering the A’s at various sites for over a decade, and was the original host of the Locked on A’s podcast. He also covers the Stanford Cardinal as they attempt to rebuild numerous programs to prominence.