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Athletics' Nick Kurtz: Ramping up baseball activities
Rotowire
Kurtz (thumb), who was cleared to begin a hitting progression and fielded grounders Monday, could return from the injured list as early as this weekend against the Twins, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
This is a clear step in the right direction for Kurtz, who hadn't been able to ramp up his activity much until Monday due to a right thumb capsule sprain. The club will keep a close eye on the 23-year-old as the week progresses, and while manager Mark Kotsay did note there's a chance Kurtz could return for the A's weekend series, he admits this may be a bit of an optimistic timeline.
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Athletics' Nick Kurtz: Not ready for baseball activities
Rotowire
The Athletics announced Saturday that Kurtz remains limited to participating in range-of-motion and strengthening exercises during his rehab for a right thumb capsule sprain, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
Kurtz was placed on the 10-day IL on July 11 due to the injury and will be without a clear timeline for a return until he's able to resume taking part in baseball activities. In the meantime, Tommy White, Jonah Heim and Jeff McNeil could all be candidates to pick up reps at first base in Kurtz's absence.
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Athletics' Nick Kurtz: Officially placed on IL
Rotowire
The Athletics placed Kurtz on the 10-day injured list Saturday due to a right thumb capsule sprain.
Kurtz jammed his right hand while attempting to field a throw in the first inning of Wednesday's game against the Tigers, with that injury along with an illness contributing to his removal from the game. Now that he's been moved to the IL, Kurtz will sit out Tuesday's All-Star Game, in addition to the Athletics' final two games of the first half versus the White Sox and the club's first series of the second half against the Nationals. Joey Meneses and Jonah Heim will likely be in store for reps at first base while Kurtz is out.
Kurtz will likely be placed on the 10-day injured list due to a right thumb capsule strain, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
Kurtz was removed from Wednesday's game against the White Sox with what was diagnosed as an illness at the time. However, he appeared to jam his right hand while attempting to field a throw in the first inning of that game, and more tests have revealed a right thumb strain. It's unclear whether the injury is severe enough for Kurtz to warrant a stint on the IL beyond the 10-day minimum. However, assuming he's placed on the IL, it means that the young first baseman would no longer represent the American League in the All-Star Game on Tuesday. An extended absence means there will be more reps at first base available for Joey Meneses and Jeff McNeil.
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Athletics' Nick Kurtz: Out of lineup Friday
Rotowire
Kurtz is not in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the White Sox.
It's unclear if Kurtz's absence is related to the illness he dealt with earlier this week that caused him to be removed from Wednesday's contest. Kurtz started Thursday but went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts. With Kurtz idle, Joey Meneses is batting sixth and making the start at first base against right-hander Sean Burke.
Kurtz was removed in the second inning of Wednesday's game against the Tigers due to illness, per Martin Gallegos of MLB.com.
Per Gallegos, Kurtz appeared to jam his hand while attempting to field a throw in the first inning. However, the Athletics have announced that the first baseman's removal was due to an illness, which is an ongoing issue in the team's clubhouse, per Jason Burke of Roundtable.io. Jeff McNeil took over for Kurtz at first base.
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Athletics' Nick Kurtz: Back in action Thursday
Rotowire
Kurtz (illness) will serve as the designated hitter and bat second during Thursday's game against the Tigers.
Kurtz was pulled from Wednesday's game in the second inning after he came down with an illness, but he's feeling well enough to return to the starting nine for Thursday's series finale. The 23-year-old has fallen into a minor cold spell at the plate recently, going 0-for-14 with seven strikeouts across his last four contests.
Kurtz went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and a walk in Friday's loss to the Marlins.
Kurtz launched his 20th homer of the season with a two-run shot to center in the bottom of the third inning. The star first baseman snapped a nine-game homer drought with this long ball, but he still sits tied for sixth on the AL home-run leaderboard while tying Shea Langeliers (thumb) for the team lead. Kurtz is batting .269 with an excellent .966 OPS across 29 games since the beginning of June.
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Athletics' Nick Kurtz: Drawing first day off since April 1
Rotowire
Kurtz is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Angels.
Joey Meneses will pick up a start at first base while Kurtz receives a breather for just the second time all season and for the first time since April 1. Kurtz will be joined on the bench by shortstop Jacob Wilson (shoulder) and Tyler Soderstrom (hip), both of whom are day-to-day with injuries.
Kurtz went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run, an additional RBI, a walk and two total runs scored in Sunday's 9-7 loss to the Angels.
Kurtz had looked a little human, going just 4-for-19 (.211) with a 4:12 BB:K over the previous five games. He got back to his power-hitting ways in this contest, lifting a seventh-inning homer that ended up being the Athletics' last scoring play of the game. The first baseman is up to 19 homers, 61 RBI, 56 runs scored, seven stolen bases, 15 doubles and a triple while batting .290 with a .995 OPS through 77 games this year.
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Athletics' Nick Kurtz: Launches two homers in win
Rotowire
Kurtz went 3-for-4 with two home runs, five total RBI and a walk in Monday's 11-2 win over the Pirates.
Kurtz put together a monster performance, lacing a two-run line-drive homer in the second inning before launching a towering three-run shot in the eighth, with both blasts going to the opposite field. The first baseman has had his power stroke working of late, blasting seven homers over his past eight games while recording two multi-homer performances during that stretch. Monday's outburst pushed Kurtz's season numbers to a .293 average with a 1.006 OPS, 18 homers, 57 RBI, 51 runs and seven stolen bases across 71 contests.
Kurtz went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Friday's 6-4 win over the Rockies.
Kurtz went back-to-back with Shea Langeliers in the fifth inning to get the scoring started. Kurtz has five homers and seven RBI over his last five contests, so it looks like his power is fully back after a slow start to the campaign. The first baseman is batting .286 with a .976 OPS, 16 homers, 50 RBI, 47 runs scored, seven stolen bases, 12 doubles and a triple over 68 games.
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Athletics' Nick Kurtz: Keeps mashing Tuesday
Rotowire
Kurtz went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and two walks in Tuesday's 7-5 win over the Brewers.
Kurtz has launched four homers over his last three games and seven long balls over his last 11 contests. This stretch has gotten the first baseman back in the neighborhood of what's expected of him from a power standpoint -- he now has 15 homers on the year. Kurtz is also batting .283 with a .969 OPS, 49 RBI, 46 runs scored, 12 doubles, one triple and seven stolen bases over 302 plate appearances this season.
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Athletics' Nick Kurtz: Goes deep twice in loss
Rotowire
Kurtz went 3-for-6 with two home runs, three total RBI, three total runs scored and a walk in Monday's 15-14 extra-innings loss to Milwaukee.
Kurtz electrified Las Vegas Ballpark, connecting on a solo shot over the left-field fence in the sixth inning before demolishing a 447-foot, two-run homer to right field in the 10th inning of Monday's back-and-forth affair. The first baseman has now homered in consecutive games and launched six long balls over his past 10 contests. The 23-year-old has blossomed into one of the most feared hitters in the sport, slashing .282/.434/.521 with 14 homers, 12 doubles, a triple, 48 RBI, 45 runs and seven stolen bases across 65 games.
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Athletics' Nick Kurtz: Blasts 12th homer
Rotowire
Kurtz went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run and a stolen base in Sunday's 5-0 victory over Houston.
Kurtz opened the scoring in the third inning with a 113.9 mph missile over the wall in right-center field for a two-run homer. After reaching on an error in the fourth frame, the first baseman also swiped his first bag since May 9. The 23-year-old is enjoying a stellar sophomore campaign, slashing .276/.431/.496 with 12 homers, 45 RBI, 42 runs and seven steals across 64 games.
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