Tyler Soderstrom looks to impress Athletics' staff in matchup vs Reds

The Oakland Athletics look to continue their two-game winning streak in a matchup vs the Reds today at 12:05 pm PST. Luis Medina is set to take the mound against Reds' lefty Andrew Abbott.

If Tyler Soderstrom wants to win a job on the opening day roster, he needs to kick it into gear at some point in the near future. Soderstrom struggled heavily in his short stint in Oakland in 2023 and hasn't looked much better in Cactus League play this spring.

Soderstrom has just 1 hit in his 9 plate appearances, drawing a single walk against four strikeouts. That matches with his performance in 2023, during which he hit .160 with a .472 OPS and a 31% strikeout rate.

As reported by Martin Gallegos of MLB.com, Soderstrom was apparently working his way through an illness earlier in the spring. That unnamed illness had reportedly held him back in games and forced the Athletics to use him on a limited basis. Soderstrom has apparently made a full recovery and is expected to be back at full strength for today's matchup.

Many view Soderstrom as the most likely candidate to serve as Shea Langeliers' backup in Oakland to start the 2024 season. That may still be the case as we've got a very limited sample and the A's don't have other great options.

Veteran Carlos Perez is in camp but isn't on the 40-man roster, so the organization would have to make an additional roster move if he needs to be in Oakland. Perez isn't a great hitter but is a solid defender and played for the A's last year, so there's at least some familiarity with the pitching staff.

Elsewhere, Darell Hernaiz gets another start at shortstop as he makes a case for his presence on the opening day roster. Max Schuemann gets a look at the keystone, giving Zack Gelof a day off.

Starter Luis Medina is in a heated battle for the 5th and final rotation spot. He looked sharp in his first outing of the spring last week and will look to continue that run. Medina was able to notch 3 strikeouts in his two-inning appearance, allowing just 1 walk and no hits.

Since Medina is out of options, he's likely to get an opportunity to stick in the majors to start the year. It's been a while since he was a top prospect for the Yankees but he still has the raw stuff to be a consistent major league starter.

If Medina can pull it together, it'll go a long way to improving the A's rotation after a dismal effort in 2023.