The Oakland Athletics face a wave of injuries, with Denzel Clarke and Max Muncy placed on the injured list. As the team struggles at home, they need to improve their performance to compete in May.
Key points
Denzel Clarke and Max Muncy are on the injured list.
Carlos Cortes won the American League Player of the Week Award.
The Athletics need to improve home performance.
J.T. Ginn is healthy and likely to make his next start.
The team faces competition from the Mariners and Rangers.
Oakland AthleticsKansas City RoyalsSeattle MarinersTexas Rangers
Apr 17, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics center fielder Denzel Clarke (1) attempts to catch the ball during the first inning of the game against the Chicago White Sox at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images
Apr 17, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics center fielder Denzel Clarke (1) attempts to catch the ball during the first inning of the game against the Chicago White Sox at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images
Happy Wednesday A’s fans!
This week is the Athletics second weeklong home stand of the season. Tonight, the team will play its second of three games against the Kansas City Royals. This weekend, Stephen Vogt’s Cleveland Guardians come to California’s capital for a three-game series. The A’s need to do better this week after dropping two out of three to the Chicago White Sox to conclude their most recent stretch of games at Sacramento’s Sutter Health Park.
Through the first full month of the season, the team has performed better on the road, playing in and winning more games against several quality opponents. If Mark Kotsay’s squad wants to make it through May competing with the Seattle Mariners and/or for first place, then the Athletics must improve their level of play at home.
After getting through the first couple weeks of the season relatively injury-free, the A’s are starting to see injuries pile up among their position players. Just as the team got designated hitter back from a 14-game absence with an oblique strain, they placed starting center fielder Denzel Clarke on the injured list with a bone bruise in his foot. As long as Clarke continues to suffer injuries that force him to miss time, he will not get the copious amount of plate appearances he needs to improve his offensive ability, which at the moment is way behind his prowess on the grass.
In Rooker’s absence, stepped up in a huge way. He is fresh off winning the American League Player of the Week Award, a well-deserved first career award for the late-blooming outfielder. This past week, Cortes hit .542 (13-for-24) with three homers, seven RBI, two doubles, a triple, four runs scored, a 1.083 slugging percentage and a .542 on-base percentage across six games.
Yesterday, third baseman joined Clarke on the injured list. He had been playing through a fractured finger which happened when he was hit on the hand by a pitch in a game two weeks ago. During last night’s game, left fielder hurt himself attempting to make a diving catch. Cortes replaced him and proceeded to get on base in all three of his at-bats. Hopefully it was just a precautionary removal as the team cannot afford to lose Soderstrom for an extended period of time.
Luckily, the Athletics’ pitching staff has mostly stayed healthy so far. On Sunday, they survived a scare involving , whose start ended abruptly due to right arm soreness. However, he is healthy, has no injury designation and is likely to make his next start. Given the A’s limited pitching depth, the team can ill afford too many injuries to pitchers if they want to take the next step and compete for the playoffs or at the very least finish the season with a winning record.
Last May, the Athletics franchise-worst 1-20 stretch put to rest any hopes they had of competing for the playoffs. What are you hoping to see from the team as May approaches? Can the bullpen keep up its strong performance or will it doom the team for a second-straight May?
Q&A
What injuries are currently affecting the Oakland Athletics roster?
Denzel Clarke is on the injured list with a bone bruise in his foot, and Max Muncy has a fractured finger.
How has Carlos Cortes performed recently for the Athletics?
Carlos Cortes won the American League Player of the Week Award, hitting .542 with three homers and seven RBI over six games.
What challenges do the Athletics face as they approach May 2026?
The Athletics need to improve their home performance and manage injuries to compete with teams like the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers.
How is the Athletics' pitching staff holding up amid injuries?
The pitching staff has mostly remained healthy, with J.T. Ginn recovering from right arm soreness and expected to make his next start.
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