AL West Check-In: One teams loses key player, another gets a return

The Athletics placed infielder Zack Gelof on the 10-day injured list Thursday because of a contusion on his right hand.

The team announced the placement was retroactive to Wednesday and Alika Williams was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas to take his spot.

While AL West-leading Mariners have struggled, Astros have woken up

Gelof, whose lengthy hitting, on-base and runs-scored streaks ended after he suffered the injury, was inadvertently spiked by San Francisco’s Matt Chapman in the second inning Tuesday night as Gelof attempted to tag him out.

Gelof quickly left the field in obvious pain. He flied to right as the game’s leadoff hitter in his only at-bat of the 3-1 loss to the Giants.

MLB standings

Gelof had a hitting streak of 24 games (tied for seventh longest in franchise history), an on-base streak of 27 games and a runs-scored streak of 13 games (the fourth longest in franchise history and longest in 93 years).

The A’s second-round pick from Virginia in 2021, Gelof is batting .282 with 11 home runs this season.

Seager back for Rangers

Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager was activated from the concussion list Thursday after the two-time World Series MVP missed 12 games.

The Rangers made the move before the opener of their four-game series at Toronto, when Seager was in the lineup batting third. It came on the eighth of 15 consecutive days that Texas has a scheduled game.

Utility player Cody Freeman was placed on the 10-day injured list with a herniated disk.

Seager was on MLB’s seven-day IL for the concussion that resulted from a collision with Kansas City catcher Carter Jensen on June 11, though Seager remained in that game and later hit a home run.

That was only his fifth game back after missing 19 games from May 15-June 4 with lower back inflammation.

In the 47 games he played before Thursday, Seager hit .186 with nine home runs and 24 RBIs.

When Seager was activated from the IL the first time, he hit a two-run homer in his first game back that put the Rangers ahead in a 3-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians on June 5. That snapped a career-worst 0-for-29 slump in the five-time All-Star’s 12 big league seasons.

Texas also released infielder Blaine Crim, who had hit .263 in 21 games at Triple-A Round Rock since being acquired May 23 on a waiver claim from Colorado.

ESPN’s Tim Kurkjian details how the WBC didn’t help Cal Raleigh

Related

Mariners reportedly interested in former Twins managerDodgers’ loss ensures a small-spender World Series matchupWhy holding onto starting pitchers could be Mariners’ best optionEx-Mariners OF Jake Bauers wins NLCS MVP as Brewers sweep DodgersThe dates to know during the MLB offseasonEx-Mariner was ready to retire before becoming Brewers’ playoff hero