The Oakland Athletics announced on Friday that rookie outfielder and MLB base-stealing leader (43) Esteury Ruiz has been placed on the 10-day Injured List. The move, the franchise clarified, is retroactive to July 6 when Ruiz was first deactivated and removed from the roster.
We have made the following roster moves. pic.twitter.com/eebQVSeEt9
— Oakland A's (@Athletics) July 7, 2023
The A's recalled right-hander Angel Felipe after signing him from waivers once he left the Padres organization. He was instantly promoted to the MLB roster, and he even got to pitch a full inning in the A's defeat to Boston on Friday, a perfect one for that matter in which he removed three hitters in 1-2-3 fashion while getting his first major-league strikeout.
Oakland also selected outfielder Cody Thomas while designating right-handed pitcher Rico Garcia for assignment.
Angel Felipe had already spent time at Triple-A Las Vegas but he was recalled on Friday before the series opener in Boston.
There is no timeline for Ruiz's return, though, as he suffered a subluxated shoulder a few days ago while sliding into a base. There is a rather fuzzy recovery time ahead of Ruiz that will depend entirely on his particular physical build. That's because players suffering the same problem in the past have gone on to see their seasons wrapped up and over, while others have recovered in a rather quick way.
Cody Thomas will get some shots while Ruiz is out and JJ Bleday covers for the rookie's absence by getting deployed in center field. Thomas has already appeared in 10 games this season with the A's, logging 32 PA in which he's slashing .267/.313/.267 walking a couple of times and getting eight hits. His OPS+ sits at a paltry 74 entering Saturday's matchup.
Thomas has manned the left field in the 10 games he played for the A's earlier this season, so Bleday's move from there to center should open a spot for him to start games going forward while Ruiz is out.
However, he'll have to earn his reps as the A's have used a predictably unpredictable number of players and lineups this season, so nothing is guaranteed for Thomas or anybody else these days.