Skye Bolt’s yo-yo year with Oakland A’s continues

It was a matter of time until the Oakland A’s sent Skye Bolt back to the minors. Their outfielders were starting to get healthy, and with the emergence of other pieces on the roster, Bolt’s complete inability to do much of anything against major league pitching had essentially turned him into a glorified defensive replacement.

That shoe dropped on Saturday. With Mark Canha back from the Injured List, Bolt was sent back to Las Vegas, continuing a season that has seen him rack up frequent flier miles.

Oakland A’s send Skye Bolt back to Las Vegas once more

Bolt has not exactly been a constant presence for the A’s this year. He had originally been placed on waivers and claimed by the Giants, only to be reacquired for cash considerations. Saturday’s demotion to Triple-A will mark his third tour of duty in Las Vegas as he has seemingly become the A’s preferred option should there be a desperate need of outfield depth.

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Although Bolt has just 80 plate appearances with the Aviators due to his treks back and forth to Oakland, he has performed well in Triple-A. He has a stellar .375/.488/.625 batting line, hitting three homers and five doubles while drawing 12 walks and striking out just 15 times. Bolt has clearly figured out the upper minors at this point.

However, the same cannot be said about major league pitching. Including his one plate appearance with San Francisco, he has produced a .106/.106/.191 batting line in 49 plate appearances, striking out 11 times while hitting a homer and a double. His lifetime major league OPS+ of -14, albeit in 60 plate appearances, is hardly inspiring.

Bolt is likely to continue to get chances this season. His excellent defense will give him a role in the organization where he will be promoted based on necessity. But until he can show that he can actually hit major league pitching, he will be nothing more than minor league depth, yo-yoing between Triple-A and Oakland. At this point, that seems likely to be his fate.

Skye Bolt has been sent back to Triple-A by the Oakland A’s. Once again, he will add to his frequent flyer miles as he bounces back and forth.