A’s call up top prospect Franklin Barreto; place Chad Pinder on the 10-day DL
The Oakland Athletics will call up top infield prospect Franklin Barreto on Saturday, sending Chad Pinder to the 10-day DL in a corresponding move.
Pinder suffered a hyperextended left knee on Thursday when tracking down a ball out in center field. He remained in the game but was in visible discomfort when the injury originally happened.
Pinder went through some on-field work prior to Friday’s game against the Angels but he wasn’t able to effectively move around.
In four games this season, Pinder is 4-for-13 (.308 BA) with a home run.
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Barreto has been called up to provide depth in the infield, but he also has experience in the outfield and could help out if needed there too. Barreto went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run and three RBIs in his lone appearance down in Triple-A Nashville this season.
The 22-year-old has a .197 batting average with two homers and six RBIs in 71 plate appearances with the Athletics.
While Barreto will spend most of his time in the infield, the newly acquired Trayce Thompson should help fill the void left in the outfield by Pinder.
Thompson was claimed off waivers by the Athletics on Thursday and will join the team in Anaheim today. RHP Daniel Gossett was optioned to Triple-A Nashville to clear a roster spot for Thompson.
Thompson has spent three years in the majors with the White Sox and Dodgers. He has a career batting average of .233 with a .310 OBP, 19 home runs, 50 RBIs and six stolen bases. It’s unclear, at this stage, how long he’ll remain with the team, but the Athletics are certainly in need of some outfield depth and Thompson is a solid option to have out there.
Next: Athletics option RHP Daniel Gossett to Triple-A Nashville
The Athletics will face the Angels again tonight with Andrew Triggs on the mound for Oakland. First pitch is scheduled for 6:07 PST.