The American League West-leading Athletics are bracing for some injury news heading into Tuesday night’s opener of a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals at West Sacramento, Calif.
All-Star shortstop Jacob Wilson sprained his left shoulder during Sunday’s 2-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. Wilson was sporting a sling after the contest and manager Mark Kotsay said he would provide a return timeline after imaging results were known. Wilson was scheduled to undergo that exam on Monday.
Wilson was injured while diving to field Gunnar Henderson’s infield single up the middle in the fifth inning. He grimaced while prone on the turf and left the contest after Kotsay and a trainer came out to assist.
“Any time you’re put in that situation where you make a great play but it results in an injury, it’s kind of tough, you know,” Kotsay said. “But that’s the way Jacob plays the game. He plays it hard.”
The Athletics are two games above .500 as the season reaches the quarter pole. An extended span without Wilson could dent the early-season momentum.
“He’s been huge, he’s our everyday shortstop,” Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers said of Wilson. “Hopefully it’s not bad. Like I said, we need him in the lineup every day.”
Wilson has played in 39 of the A’s 40 games and is batting .292 with three homers and 19 RBIs. He’s even more valuable on defense and hasn’t made a single error this season. The 24-year-old committed just eight errors last season in 124 starts.
Sunday’s loss to Baltimore ended a 3-3 road trip. The A’s had just four hits after scoring 22 runs over their previous three games — two against the Orioles and one against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Slugging first baseman Nick Kurtz was 0-for-3 with a walk to extend his on-base streak to 34 games.
The Cardinals had a painful Sunday in a different way. St. Louis was one strike away from blanking the San Diego Padres when closer Riley O’Brien served up a tying two-run homer to Nick Castellanos on the ninth pitch of the at-bat in the bottom of the ninth. San Diego won 3-2 after Manny Machado hit a sacrifice fly in the 10th.
The blown lead left St. Louis with just a split of a four-game series in which it allowed just 14 hits.
“What I love about this is we’ve got a clubhouse that’s pretty (mad) right now,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said after the loss. “… I like the fact that the mood is what it is and expectations are high.”
O’Brien has been stellar for St. Louis and has 11 saves in 14 opportunities. He’s tied for second in the majors in saves behind San Diego fireballer Mason Miller, who has 12.
“I’m going to have to go back and watch the video with a little more of a clear head,” O’Brien said. “But yeah, I felt like I executed some pitches, but I didn’t finish the at-bat.”
Jordan Walker hit a two-run homer to extend his team-best total to 11.
St. Louis sends right-hander Andre Pallante (3-3, 4.34 ERA) to the mound against Athletics left-hander Jeffrey Springs (3-2, 3.89).
Pallante, 27, lost to the Milwaukee Brewers last Wednesday when he gave up five runs and eight hits over six innings.
He has never faced the A’s but had success against Jeff McNeil (1-for-7) when the latter played for the New York Mets.
Springs, 33, is 0-2 over his last four starts. He gave up two runs and eight hits over 5 1/3 innings in a no-decision against the Phillies last Wednesday.
He is 0-2 with a 3.15 ERA in four career appearances (three starts) against the Cardinals. Victor Scott II (1-for-4) has homered against Springs.
–Field Level Media
