Brent

Rooker

Make that two homers in three games for Rooker, who hasn’t lived up to draft-day expectations so far this season. He’s already dealt with an oblique injury and a minor knee issue, but his strikeout rate is up after he lowered it significantly in 2025. Over the past four seasons, it has gone from 32 percent to 28 percent to 22 percent. It’s back over 30 percent in 2026. Rooker and the entire Athletics lineup will look to heat up over the next two weeks. They’re set to begin a 13-game homestand in hitter-friendly Sacramento on Monday.

Rooker was held out of the lineup on Thursday against the Cubs, though he did appear as a pinch hitter. He’s serving as the A’s designated hitter and batting cleanup against Astros’ right-hander Peter Lambert on Friday evening in Houston.

Rooker was out of the starting lineup as a break while dealing with knee soreness. He’ll likely be back in the DH spot on Friday.

Rooker knocked a base hit to drive in a run before scoring on a single in the third inning. After drawing a walk in the fifth, he took Ryan Johnson deep for a two-run homer in the eighth. The 31-year-old slugger is up to seven homers and 24 RBI while hitting .200/.285/.392 across 137 plate appearances.

Rooker extended the A’s lead in the third inning with a three-run blast off Shane Baz. He later drew a walk in the fifth and knocked a base hit in the ninth. The 31-year-old slugger is coming around at the plate after a cold April and time missed with an oblique injury, with three home runs in May. He’s hitting .195/.273/.379 with five homers and 18 RBI across 99 plate appearances.

Rooker tagged rookie right-hander Andrew Painter for a 384-foot (100.2 mph EV) two-run shot in the top half of the first inning — his squad’s second two-run homer in the frame. He also added a run-scoring single in the fourth that increased the A’s advantage to 8-0. He’s off to a painfully slow start at the plate this season, slashing a woeful .177/.256/.342 with four homers and 15 RBI, so hopefully this is a sign of good things to come.

If the A’s had it to do over again, they probably would have sent Rooker on a brief rehab assignment before activating him from the IL, but it looks like he’s fine now after going 0-for-13 in his first three games back from an oblique strain. Besides the two hits, he had a 104-mph groundout and a 97-mph lineout tonight.

He hasn’t played since being removed from Tuesday’s game in what Mark Kotsay said was “precautionary.” Colby Thomas is batting cleanup against LHP Noah Cameron. Brent Rooker (0-for-13 since returning from an oblique injury) is also sitting today, giving Shea Langeliers a DH day while Austin Wynns draws a start.

Rooker will make his triumphant return to the Athletics’ lineup on Sunday against the Rangers. Before landing on the injured list on April 10 with a right oblique strain, the 31-year-old slugger was slashing .146/.245/.293 with two homers, eight RBI and two stolen bases through his first 49 plate appearances on the season. Andy Ibanez was designated for assignment in a corresponding move on Sunday.

Rooker remains without a definitive return timetable after hitting the injured list with a right oblique strain back on April 10. The 31-year-old upper-echelon fantasy slugger will need some time to ramp up activity without any setbacks before being cleared to embark on a minor league rehab assignment, which puts any sort of return estimate back into at least early May.