The Oakland A’s lineup should get a familiar face back soon in Ramon Laureano.
The A’s outfielder has begun his rehab assignment in Stockton as he is working back from a strained left oblique. After a day off on Friday, he returned to the lineup in right on Saturday and is expected to serve as the Ports’ designated hitter on Sunday. Should he emerge from the game healthy, the expectation is that Laureano will be part of the A’s lineup on Tuesday when they face the Braves in Oakland.
Ramon Laureano can boost value for Oakland A’s
At this point, it is clearly too late for Laureano to mean anything for the A’s in 2022. They were seemingly eliminated from the postseason in April as their quest to slash payroll gutted the roster. Laureano is one of the few holdovers, a solid player on a team filled with questionable talent.
Even he has had a somewhat down season. Laureano has posted a respectable .223/.300/.395 batting line, numbers that may not overly impress, but are worth a 103 OPS+. He has hit 12 homers and 17 doubles in his 343 plate appearances, stealing ten bases. Considering he has battled injuries and a delayed start to the season due to his PED suspension, that performance is certainly respectable.
If Laureano can improve his overall numbers and finish the season on a strong note, he could end up being one of the more fascinating players to watch this offseason. The A’s may have resisted any attempts to trade for him this year, but they are still looking to slash payroll. Add in the number of teams looking for a center fielder, and his remaining years of team control, and he will get plenty of attention. A strong final month will only help those offers.
Ramon Laureano should be back with the Oakland A’s on Tuesday. While it will not change anything this year, his return could matter for the offseason.