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Ramon Laureano did not miss a beat in return to Oakland A’s

By David Hill

Jun 16, 2021; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics center fielder Ramon Laureano (22) returns to the dugout after making a catch to end the top of the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at RingCentral Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 16, 2021; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics center fielder Ramon Laureano (22) returns to the dugout after making a catch to end the top of the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at RingCentral Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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It had been nearly three weeks since Ramon Laureano was last in the Oakland A’s lineup. He had been one of the A’s best hitters when he landed on the Injured List, a player whose performance with the bat and glove were sorely missed in the lineup.

Despite that layoff, manager Bob Melvin showed a great deal of confidence in his center fielder. He was right back in the lineup after being activated on Wednesday. Melvin placed him in the second spot in the batting order, showing his faith that Laureano would be his typically productive self.

Ramon Laureano looked like himself in return to Oakland A’s

It took all of four innings for Laureano to make an impact. In the top of the inning, Justin Upton hit a drive to center, with Laureano drifting back to the wall. He lept and made the catch with his glove just over the fence, seemingly robbing Upton of a home run.

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As is usually the case when a player makes an impressive play in the field, Laureano was up in the bottom of the inning. He had taken away in the top of the frame, and in his time at the plate, he gave to the A’s. He belted a solo shot to left field, giving the A’s their first run of the game in what would eventually be an 8-4 comeback victory.

He had been a key part of the A’s offense prior to his time on the IL. Laureano had produced a .257/.332/.503 batting line in his 205 plate appearances before he was sidelined. In that time, he had hit 11 homers and eight doubles, stealing eight bases in 11 attempts. As the A’s fiery leader, he helped bring the lineup together.

He showed that again on Wednesday. Although he was just 1-5 with a strikeout, his fourth inning homer got the A’s on the board. The offense came to life afterwards, scoring seven more runs in the fifth and sixth innings. While that solo homer may not seem too important in the end result, it did get the offense started.

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The Oakland A’s were confident that Ramon Laureano would be able to perform at his usual level when activated. He proved them right on Wednesday.