Elephant Rumblings: Andujar done for season, Allen back up, Ginn starting

MLB news roundup

Morning Athletics Nation!

The A’s announced some roster moves and pitching plans yesterday evening just a couple hours before game time. First and foremost was the season-ending injury to one of Oakland’s better hitters, Miguel Andujar:

Not a great way to end his season after starting the year on the shelf. Andujar will end the 2024 campaign having played in 75 games donning the Green & Gold. He slashed .285/.320/.377 with four home runs and three stolen bases, good for a just ever so slightly above league average 102 OPS+. That said, he really teed off on lefties this year, putting up huge platoon splits and offering above-average production against left-handed pitching.

He also almost exclusively played left field for the club though no one confused him with Eric Byrnes in the outfield. The injuries held Andujar back yet again this year but he was a productive bat for the club when he was on the field. It didn’t cost much for the A’s to bring him on board and it shouldn’t cost much next season either. He’s about to be 30 years old and didn’t provide much power but he’s also under team control for one more year and the club has money to spend, even for the Athletics. I’d expect them to bring him back for Round 2 next year.

Manager Mark Kotsay gave some brief remarks on Andujar after the news was announced:

That roster subtraction of course required a corresponding addition to the active roster. And I feel I can say to everyone’s surprise, former starting shortstop Nick Allen was the one who got the call to return to the big leagues:

The last time we saw Nick Allen with the big league club was all the way back on May 1st, his final game before getting demoted to Triple-A. At the time of his demotion he was slashing a paltry .171/.227/.243 with one home run and no stolen bases. Now of course it came with the great defense at shortstop but even those numbers were too much for the club to stomach. They made the move and Allen has been in the minors the rest of the season.

Since his demotion though he’s looked like a completely different hitter. hitting .345/.431/.497 with seven bombs in 81 games. Now granted he’s playing in a bandbox of a home ballpark and league as a whole, but those would be MVP level numbers if Allen could translate that to the big leagues. Yet after three years he’s yet to be able to do that, and with fellow young shortstop Jacob Wilson now in the fold and Darell Hernaiz likely ahead of him on the depth chart these may be the last days we see Nicky Knocks in the Green & Gold. Who knows though? Maybe Allen has finally figured it out this time. He is still only 25 years old after all. He’ll need to make the most of what is likely to be limited opportunities in September.

And on the pitching side of things, we now know who will be taking the ball for the Athletics today in the series finale with a sweep within our grasp:

This comes after just a pair of relief appearances for the A’s since his call up. In those two appearances Ginn has gone more than one inning, looking electric in his first outing and a bit less so in his second. Ginn, the final remaining piece of the Chris Bassitt trade, started the year out in Double-A before getting promoted to Triple-A after about a month. He’s been a starter all season long so this assignment shouldn’t be too foreign for him but your first start is your first start. There shouldn’t be a low pitch count for him today but he may get the quick hook if things look like they’re going off the rails.

And finally, as you may have noticed in the press release the club also announced that infielder Abraham Toro cleared waivers and will now head to Triple-A, where the 27-year old is likely to spend the rest of the baseball season. It’s a disappointing end for an A’s tenure that started out so well. He’ll likely find a new home over the offseason, somewhere that can offer him a clearer path to playing time and at bats. It just doesn’t look like that’ll be here.

Have a great Thursday everyone!

A’s Coverage:

• Four home runs help Athletics beat Reds
• Oakland Athletics Prospects: Nick Kurtz placed on IL, plus more
• Miguel Andujar out for season with core injury
• Athletics outright Abraham Toro to Triple-A

MLB News & Interest:

• Nationals top prospect Dylan Crews crushes first career home run
• Yordan Alvare hits three home runs, Arrighetti flirts with no-no in Astros win
• Giants place Thairo Estrada, Taylor Rogers on waivers
• Reds set to call up #35 prospect Rhett Lowder for debut
• Orioles’ Jorge Mateo undergoes season-ending elbow surgery
• Royals place Michael Lorenzen on IL with hamstring strain
• Pirates starter Marco Gonzalez undergoes elbow surgery, out for year
• Longtime player Rich Hill joins Red Sox with chance to play in 20th season
• Chicago Cubs expected to target catching help this offseason
• Ranking top free agents in 2024-2025 offseason
• Today in Baseball History

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