The Athletics announced a big batch of roster moves today. Shortstop Jacob Wilson and outfielder Tyler Soderstrom have both been placed on the 10-day injured list. Wilson’s transaction is retroactive to June 26th and due to right thumb inflammation. Soderstrom’s is retroactive to June 28th and due to a left hip impingement. Additionally, left-hander José Suarez hits the paternity list. To replace those three, the A’s have recalled righty Kade Morris and infielder Darell Hernaiz and selected the contract of infielder Joshua Kuroda-Grauer. To open a 40-man spot for Kuroda-Grauer, righty Michael Kelly has been designated for assignment.
At this point, there’s nothing to indicate either injury is significant. Still, it’s not ideal for a club to be losing two of its lineup fixtures. That’s especially true of the A’s as they already have Zack Gelof, Brent Rooker and Denzel Clarke on the IL, so these moves make for five regular position players on the shelf, in addition to a few pitchers. The A’s are in a tight American League playoff race, currently a game and a half out of a Wild Card spot, so any setback is going to be notable for them.
Soderstrom has a .242/.343/.460 line on the year, so the lineup will definitely be missing his bat. On the other side of the ball, Defensive Runs Saved likes his glovework this year but Outs Above Average doesn’t. That might be a strange blip, as both metrics were fond of his left field work last year. Wilson’s offense is a bit down this year, as he has a .277/.310/.386 line. His shortstop defense hasn’t received strong grades and DRS still frowns on him but he has been credited with six OAA this season.
The A’s didn’t add an outfielder with their moves today, so Soderstrom’s playing time will probably go to guys already on the roster. Carlos Cortes and Colby Thomas will likely get some left field time, next to Henry Bolte in center and Lawrence Butler in right. Cortes had a strong start to the season but is hitting .111/.167/.178 in June. Thomas is hitting just .203/.244/.311 for the season.
At shortstop, Alika Williams has covered the spot for the past few days while Wilson was hurt. Williams is a decent defender but his offense is more questionable. His .283/.306/.433 line this year looks nice but it’s propped up by a .400 batting average on balls in play while Williams has just a 3.2% walk rate and a massive 30.2% strikeout rate. It’s fair to expect his line to regress.
Kuroda-Grauer also joins the mix, getting called up to the big leagues for the first time. A third-round pick from 2024, he has climbed the ladder with a contact-heavy approach with few walks and strikeouts. In 1,040 minor league plate appearances, his 7% walk rate is a bit below average while his 8.4% strikeout rate is barely a third of par. That has led to a .309/.370/.407 line and 106 wRC+.
Baseball America currently lists him as the club’s #9 prospect, highlighting his contact approach and lack of power. Defensively, he is considered an above-average shortstop while also capably playing second base and third base, with some dabbling in the outfield as well. He doesn’t have elite speed but is smart on the basepaths, allowing him to steal 27 bases last year and 15 already this year. He will give the A’s cover at a few different spots. As other guys get healthy, he has a full slate of options and could be easily sent back down to the minors in the future.
Kelly, 33, was claimed off waivers from the Guardians in November of 2023. His tenure with the A’s began well, as he posted a 2.59 earned run average over 31 1/3 innings in 2024. Unfortunately, that was interrupted in unusual fashion. Kelly was one of several players who received a one-year suspension for betting on major league baseball games while in the minors. He returned from that suspension last summer and gave the A’s another 39 2/3 innings with a 3.18 ERA.
This year’s results haven’t been there. Kelly has only logged five big league innings, with nine earned runs allowed in that time. He has spent most of his time on optional assignment, where he has fared better. He has thrown 25 1/3 innings with a 3.20 ERA, 27.3% strikeout rate and 9.1% walk rate.
Kelly now heads into DFA limbo, which can last as long as a week. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so the A’s could take as long as five days to explore trade interest, though they could also put him on the wire sooner. Since he is still optionable, it seems like there should be some interest there. Kelly has a strong 3.72 ERA in his big league career. He has struggled in a tiny sample of major league work in 2026 but with much better work on the farm.
Photo courtesy of Sergio Estrada, Imagn Images