Athletics placed 1B Nick Kurtz on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to July 10, with a right thumb capsule sprain.
It’s another significant hit to the Athletics’ lineup, as Kurtz, who will also miss next week’s All-Star Game in Philadelphia, is likely facing a multi-week absence. His departure coincides with losing Brent Rooker to season-ending knee surgery and red-hot Zack Gelof to a knee laceration within the past two weeks. The lingering thumb issue certainly helps explain the 23-year-old on-base machine’s recent downturn at the plate as he went hitless over his final 20 at-bats and was batting .145 (8-for-55) with one home run across his last 15 games. He finishes the first half slashing .266/.405/.497 with 61 runs scored, 20 homers, 66 RBI and seven steals in 412 plate appearances across 92 games. A clearer timetable should emerge soon, but fantasy managers should be prepared for an extended absence given the nature of the injury.
