Nick Kurtz (thumb) gets night off versus lefty

This frees up a 40-man roster spot for Michael Stefanic. Kurtz remains done for the season.

Kotsay added that Kurtz has to be in a brace for at least four weeks after receiving a PRP injection to address a right thumb strain last week. The 23-year-old on-base machine could potentially be cleared to resume baseball activities in early September, but that doesn’t leave him much of a runway to ramp up with only three weeks left in the season at that juncture. It’s hard to rule Kurtz out completely, but his odds of making a significant fantasy impact down the home stretch appear almost nonexistent.

The A’s let Kurtz rush back from his original thumb injury last month and will pay the price, though not really, since they’re not playing for much anyway. It’s unclear as of yet whether Kurtz will return this season. The A’s will likely go with Tommy White at first base, opening up time at third base for Max Muncy and Donovan Walton.

Kurtz is set to visit a hand specialist on Monday, after which the A’s will determine whether or not he’s going to require a trip to the injured list. Fantasy managers should have a contingency plan in place for next week in the event that Kurtz is forced to miss some significant time.

Kurtz was lifted for a pinch-hitter with the Athletics trailing by nearly two touchdowns in the eighth inning. There was some concern after the 23-year-old on-base machine was hit by a pitch on the left forearm earlier this week. However, a precautionary MRI came back clean for any structural issues. He’s played two straight contests since the incident.

Gulp. Hopefully, Kurtz will prove to be fine after being hit by a pitch in Wednesday’s game. If not, the A’s would probably recall Max Muncy and put him at third and Tommy White at first for now.

It’s a massive relief that Kurtz appears to have avoided serious injury after he was drilled by Red Sox starter Patrick Sandoval in the first inning. It’s a bit unclear whether he already underwent X-rays, but the fact that the Athletics are calling it a contusion is a massive relief. He’s presumably day-to-day heading into Thursday’s series finale.

This didn’t look good at all. Kurtz was in a great deal of pain after taking a pitch off the left arm from Red Sox starter Patrick Sandoval in the opening frame. It appeared to hit him somewhere in the forearm just above his wrist. He managed to stay in the game initially before being replaced by Jeff McNeil at first base in the second inning. The 23-year-old offensive force will head for further evaluation, including X-rays, to determine whether he suffered any fractures. There should be an update his status following the contest.

Kurtz has gone 1-for-8 with a three-run homer in a pair of games since coming back from the injured list over the weekend. The 23-year-old offensive force will get a breather with hard-throwing lefty Peyton Tolle toeing the rubber for Boston in this one. It’ll be Jeff McNeil taking over at first base.

Kurtz’ home run was his 21st of the season. He hit a three-run home run off Cole Sands in the sixth inning. Kurtz’ home run was his first since July 3 against the Marlins. Entering play Sunday, he was 0-for-22 with 13 strikeouts and no walks in his last six games. Kurtz is hitting .264 with a .901 OPS and 69 RBI.