The Athletics selected Cortes' contract and optioned him to Triple-A Las Vegas on Tuesday.
Though Cortes will stick around at Las Vegas to begin the second half, the Athletics' decision to move him to the 40-man roster could clear the way for him to make his MLB debut later this season. The 28-year-old outfielder has enjoyed a big season in the Pacific Coast League thus far, slashing .321/.418/.603 with 16 home runs and as many walks (41) as strikeouts (41) over 299 plate appearances.